WHO says Valentine’s Day is only for couples?
For Ernie Manatad, 52, and his wife Monah, 53, Valentine’s Day is also a special day to celebrate love with their family and their community.
The couple, who have been married for 26 years, told SunStar Cebu that they decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, with their children and their in-laws in a remote mountain resort in Cebu.
Aside from their eight children, the couple was also joined by the two eldest children’s spouses.
“It was fun and chill and at the same time getting to know the partners of our children,” Manatad said.
Manatad is currently the barangay chief of Subangdaku, Mandaue City and is also the president of the city’s Association of Barangay Councils, while his wife is a councilor in his barangay.
Aside from celebrating Valentine’s Day with their family, Manatad and his wife also celebrated the love month by organizing a river clean-up with their fellow barangay officials.
They conducted the river clean-up at the Mahiga Creek on Friday, Feb. 12.
Manatad said this is also their way of showing their love for the environment and their barangay.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Manatad said he and his wife will continue to celebrate their usual Valentine’s Day together with their children.
Although the pandemic has affected their relationship as a family, Ernie said they have tried to keep their closeness and strong relationship with their children.
“I always tried to make my wifey smile every day to lighten her loads and anxieties due to the pandemic,” Manatad said. (KFD)
