Marcos offers love advice to youth

February 15, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Lasting relationships are built on friendship and mutual understanding, according to President Marcos, who played love guru on Valentine’s Day.

In his vlog posted on his official social media accounts yesterday, Marcos gamely answered questions about relationship from his youth supporters.

One of them asked the President for advice to couples who want a long and healthy relationship, having been married to First Lady Liza Marcos for more than 30 years.

“I think longtime married couples already knew this – the only secret… not really a secret – is that a relationship must be about compromising. Not all people are the same,” the President said in Filipino.

“Husband and wife should understand each other. It’s not possible to have ‘my way or no way.’ If so, there’s always someone sad. So, there should be compromise,” he said.

Marcos was also asked about a current trend where young people share how they risked friendships by confessing romantic feelings using American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s song “Ruin the Friendship.”

The President said he does not believe in “ruining” a friendship and explained that while moving from friendship to romance is part of what the song describes, the foundation of any strong relationship is true friendship.

“I don’t think that ruins the friendship. I understand what Taylor Swift is trying to say, that you move away from the friend zone and you become boyfriend, girlfriend, jowa (a Filipino slang for romantic partner), whatever you want to call it. But for me, the basis of any good relationship is true friendship. The best relationships I’ve seen have all been started by being friends,” Marcos noted.

He advised couples to “enjoy each other’s company.”

The President emphasized that making time for each other despite busy schedules is also a key to sustaining a long and healthy relationship.

On the question of how the First Couple and their kids balance work and family, the President acknowledged that all of them are busy, making it difficult to free up even a single day together.

He said family gatherings are often spontaneous – sometimes a long-weekend trip to Ilocos, his home province, or another destination.

When asked about a love song that represents their relationship, Marcos cited “Moonlight in Vermont” by Sarah Vaughan, saying the song is special because it was played during one of their first dates in New York.