I LOVE YOU!

 

This week, it's time again for Valentine's Day. Expensive flowers, sweets, lunches, hotel overnights ...

Do you know something about the legend of St. Valentine? The history of Valentine's Day – and the story of its patron saint – is indeed shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.

From February 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. ... Emperor Claudius II executed two men — both named Valentine — on Feb. 14 of different years in the 3rd century A.D. Their martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine's Day.

Being married for almost 43 years now, Valentine's Day lets me always recall lovely moments from the past.

In a very old issue of PHILADELPHIA NEWS, which is still on my desk, columnist Larry Fields confessed: "I lead a life of wine, women and song (by the way, a wonderful waltz by the Austrian king of waltz Johann Strauss!) - it's cheaper than petrol, food and rent!"

Well, some marriages are made in heaven. You know some? I do. The best of the rest are down-to-earth. Maybe also yours? I am blessed and happy to celebrate my  43rd wedding anniversary next month.

Maybe you remember this: "Then the prince swept the lovely young maiden into his arms and carried her home to his castle. And they live happily ever after!" Indeed, they did.

What I would like to see is an autonomous in home affairs study of all these titles of nobility bearers seven years after their happily-ever-after marriages. or even earlier, because the so-called darned and tricky seventh marriage year could be even the first one already.

The truth is that life isn't made up of the continual highs found in the initial stages of courtship. Of course, flirting is fun and a wide groove exists. But after a while our system needs a rest. Unanimously we're in the second stage sooner or later and our marriage life badly needs a new outside coating.

All of a sudden, the partner prefers day and night watching all the sports channels, falls asleep while you're revealing your innermost secrets and even forgets the anniversary for the first or even second time . Just bear in mind: You've won each other's acceptance  and sometimes even feelings are terribly gloomy. This acceptance shouldn't be undervalued.

Even we see a house that has to be cleaned, many other things have to be organized, and the partner, who looks as fatigued and bored as you feel. Logical question: "That's it? That WAS it?"

And suddenly, we experienced the third stage and learned why it's worth the ups and downs. Maybe we men don't mention any more, how incredible she looks, but we enjoy bleating and grousing at her spending innumerable hours putting her together. But then, suddenly, we men unload the garbage without being asked for it.

Although no marriage is continually blissful - it can be pretty good most of the time. When we last through arguments, money worries, and kid's problems or slowly but surely coming up mid-life crises, we should face reality that our relationship is not always a big day celebration.

It's because the fundamental  reason for a marriage has outlasted the craziness of day-to-day living: we love each other. That's MY idea of "Happily ever after, indeed!"

And one more thing: in my opinion, Valentine's Day shouldn't be only on February 14. It doesn't matter if one is married or not.

Celebrate friendship on Valentine's Week

By Pinky Concha-Colmenares

Published Feb 12, 2026 12:02 am | Updated Feb 11, 2026 04:44 pm

DRIVING THOUGHTS

It’s almost Valentine’s Day when we will be surrounded by loud love. Red roses, candlelit dinners, staged affection posted online. Love, apparently, must be visible, romantic, and preferably photogenic.

But some of the most enduring forms of love don’t show up with flowers. They arrive quietly. And they are almost never celebrated on Feb. 14.

Friendship is one of them.

Well, a group of friends, mostly couples in their senior years, celebrated Valentine’s week without those photogenic or Instagramable moments. They went camping. Driving through kilometers of desolate landscape of sand trails left by Pinatubo’s eruption decades ago, stirring a whirlwind of sand in its path, crossing a river, dodging tree trunks — and finally reaching a surreal landscape of rolling green grass, pine trees, and a serene lake.

This is Lake Mapanuepe in Zambales, a truly hidden paradise visited only by the adventurous with 4x4 vehicles, and a few brave 4x2 drivers, all of them with the spirit of Indiana Jones.

Far from the restaurants where most couples will dine on Valentine’s Day, this group who call themselves the Senior Car Campers Plus seek the outdoors to celebrate friendship. Under the stars, the chilly wind of the lake threatening to blow away tents and awnings, these senior citizens cook meals on neatly-assembled kitchen tables, lay the sumptuous food on tables extended by coordinated planning, and sit on camp chairs each brings along.

The Great Outdoors is what draws these seniors together. Total strangers before they met in some campsite years ago, they have now become friends and act like neighbors, although their home addresses are scattered around Metro Manila.

This week, and on Valentine’s Day, they celebrate friendship, a form of love that hardly attracts attention online. To me — and I am sure, to many of you — friendship has kept you grounded many times in your life. To have a friend who knows your voice well enough to hear the bad day before you say a word. The one who sends a message that simply reads — “Are you okay.” You have a treasure when you have a friend who remembers how you take your coffee, your irrational fears, and your old stories — and listens to them again and again.

Friendship is love without performance. With the red roses and chocolates. There’s no public milestones for it, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of knowing each other’s worst habits. And because it does not follow the familiar romance narrative, we often treat it as secondary — important, yes, but somehow not central.

That’s a mistake.

Friendships are the relationships that hold us together when romantic love falters, or ends. They are the ones who survive distance, heartbreak, career changes, parenthood, grief, and personal reinvention.

Unlike romantic love, friendship is rarely about possession. It allows space. It doesn’t panic when you change. It understands that silence doesn’t always mean absence. All it asks for is something simple — “Be there when I need you.”

There’s humor in friendship too. The kind that only exists when you’ve known someone long enough to laugh without explaining the joke. With the seniors who’ve shared only about two years together, the laughter comes from jokes about appetite or one’s build that prevents one from setting up an awning. All that said with affection, the banter goes on and on from one campsite to the next. The laughter refuses to leave.

With this group, they linger together from one campsite to the next, until, as one of them said, “We run out of clothes and food.” That’s not extraordinary; with friends, lunch extends to dinner, and cocktails to midnight snacks.

And yet, on Valentine’s Day, friendships are politely ignored. We don’t buy chocolates for the people who sat with us through uncertainty. We don’t celebrate the ones who stayed when we were not particularly lovable.

Maybe because friendship feels too ordinary to honor. Or we assume it will always be there, quietly waiting.

But friendship is not accidental. It is built and maintained. It requires time in a world obsessed with speed. It needs presence in a culture addicted to distraction and multitasking. It requires listening without giving advice, honesty but not cruel comments, and care without conditions.

That’s not small love.

If romantic love is fireworks, friendship is the steady light that shows you where you are. It doesn’t overwhelm. It stays long after the noise — or the camping ends.

So maybe this Valentine’s week, we expand our definition of love. Maybe we acknowledge that some of the deepest connections in our lives do not arrive wrapped in romance. They arrive in shared silence — when we set up camp, each quietly assembling tents, kitchens, beds. They come with old conversations of repeated jokes, and whimsical dreams of what one wants to buy for the next camping. It mingles in the comfort of being fully known to strangers who now sleep in tents beside mine.

Some loves do not ask for roses. They ask for time — to get away from the comforts of the city to some desolate campsite. They ask for honesty — to ask for help to set up a new tent and not pretend one can do it all by himself. They ask for staying – through three days to seven days in two to three campsites.

Those quiet friendships deserve to be celebrated! This week, I celebrated friendship with Lawrence Dy, Danny and Beng Yan, Dean and Nette Baltazar, George and Josie Coscolluela, Zaldy and Claire Ramonez, PJ and Gay Beltran. We missed Bodz Rivera and Richard Siy, regular campers who couldnt get away for the week. (Email: pinky.colmenares@mb.com.ph)

Lady Archers eye redemption in Season 88

 

Angel Canino leads De La Salle University's redemption bid in UAAP Season 88. (UAAP Media)

By Manila Bulletin Sports

Published Feb 11, 2026 04:18 pm

National University is surely the team to beat in the UAAP Season 88 volleyball tournament, and no one is more eager to claim the scalps of the defending women's champion than De La Salle University.

Angel Canino leads De La Salle University's redemption bid in UAAP Season 88. (UAAP Media)

By CHRISTAN SALVAÑA

Intern

National University is surely the team to beat in the UAAP Season 88 volleyball tournament, and no one is more eager to claim the scalps of the defending women's champion than De La Salle University.

Swept by the Lady Bulldogs in just two games in the finals, the Green Archers try to steal the throne in NU's post-Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon era with Shevana Laput and Angel Canino leading the charge for the Taft-based squad.

“Since last year, runner-up kami, so sa ngayon talagang target talaga ‘yung top na. Yung preparation andun naman eh, laging paghahandaan kung sino man ‘yung dadating na kalaban, kasi sa ngayon, walang madaling kalaban ngayon, lahat competitive na,” he said.

The Archers are optimistic this time with the arrival of rookie Eshana Nunag who packs potential that should complement the team.

“Actually, wala naman nagbago sa amin. Isa pa, bago na naman ‘yung setter namin, rookie. So, eto na naman. Hopefully, maging maganda yung performance.”

La Salle will open its bid against Far Eastern University on Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

SexBomb Girls announce Rawnd 6 and first international concerts in UAE

 

By Annalyn S. Jusay

Published Feb 11, 2026 11:35 pm

What began as a nostalgia-driven reunion has turned into one of the most successful concert runs in Philippine pop history.

Following five sold-out shows attended largely by “mga batang pinalaki ng SexBomb,” organizers have confirmed that the SexBomb Girls’ Get, Get, Aw! Reunion Concert will return for a Rawnd 6, along with the group’s first-ever international concerts to be held in the Middle East.

SexBomb Girls (Images courtesy of Facebook)

"Nagsimula sa simpleng entablado...ngayon international na ang kembot (It started on a simple stage… now the hip sway goes international," the group's leader, Rochelle Pangilinan, and producer NY Entourage Productions announced on social media

The upcoming overseas shows dubbed "Get Get Aw! UAE" will be held on March 27 (Friday) at the Dubai Exhibition Centre and on March 28 (Saturday) at 321 Sports in Abu Dhabi.

While the venue for Rawnd 6 has not yet been announced, the follow-up concerts mark a major milestone for the OG (original) girl group first formed in 1999. With their revival, many local and international fans have been clamoring for them to perform outside Metro Manila.

Dubai concert poster

The Get, Get, Aw! concert series opened on Dec. 4, 2025, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and immediately sold out. A second show followed days later at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, where demand continued to surge. What was initially announced as a finale for Rawnd 3 on Feb. 6, 2026, eventually expanded into two additional sold-out shows at the same venue, held on Feb 7 and 8.

Fans went wild over the dances and songs that brought them back to their youth. The SexBomb Girls exceeded expectations, delivering a world-class production that gave their audiences their money’s worth.

They didn't just dance, they delivered circus-like acrobatics paired with delightful costumes. From the start of the show, they made a dramatic entrance through hydraulic stage lifts. The 360-degree stage and the girls' overall performance set a new standard for how reunion shows should be staged. While the concerts stretched for three hours or so each night, the crowd loved every minute and even screamed for more.

Ice Seguerra was a special guest during the Feb. 8 concert.

Rawnds 3 to 5 also turned into a celebration of Filipino music across generations, gathering some of the biggest names in OPM on one stage.

For the three days of the MOA Arena concert series, guest performers included such heavyweights as Regine Velasquez, Gary Valenciano, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Gloc-9, Apo Hiking Society, La Diva, BINI, and Alamat, among others.

With the new announcement, the Get, Get, Aw! Concert has evolved far beyond its original goal of reuniting the Sexbomb Girls. Their sold-out shows prove the girls' place in Philippine pop culture and how their enduring appeal remains among their fans.

How to keep the flame of love burning

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THERE’S a Gospel Acclamation that can give us the idea of how to keep the flame of love, notorious for being fickle given our wounded condition, ever burning. It’s from the Acts of Apostles where it says: “Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.” (16,14)

God, whose very essence is love, has made this love known to us by its incarnation in the Son made man, Jesus Christ. More than that, this love can also be ours as long as we precisely would open our hearts to listen and make as our own the words, the teaching and example of Christ.

It’s a love that goes all the way, and remains unfazed regardless of whatever condition we may have in this life. Yes, it’s a love for all seasons, always taking the initiative to reach out to others, again regardless of how the others may be toward us.

As St. Paul would put it, it’s a love that is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs. It does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (cfr. 1 Cor 13,4-7)

In other words, it’s a love that would lead us to always think well of others, to be willing and happy to serve others, again regardless of how they are to us. It’s a love that would enable us to love even our enemies. 

It always thinks ahead of what to do for others. It does not wait for some favorable conditions to come before it is given. Yes, it is given gratuitously, without counting the cost nor expecting any reward. It’s quick to forgive and to ask for forgiveness.

With this kind of love, we will never have a dull moment in our life. We would never run out of ideas and initiatives. We would always feel hot and energetic, if not always bodily or emotionally, then always spiritually and morally. It will always keep us going, irrespective of the varying circumstances of our life.

It’s a love that goes beyond the limitations of our natural powers, since it can only be generated and kept with the grace of God. That is, if we listen to Christ’s words, follow his example, and incarnate him in ourselves through the sacraments, etc. 

This means that we should animate our human powers with God’s grace, and not let them remain on their own, relying only on natural elements. For this, we need to wage continual struggle since we cannot deny that we also have a strong tendency to depend solely on the natural rather than on the supernatural.

To be sure, this kind of love would keep us always calm, happy and cheerful, confident and hopeful. It would always prod us to be generous in our self-giving. It is this kind of love that would already give us a foretaste of the bliss we can expect in our definitive home in heaven when we become truly one with God as we should.

We need to spread this Good News more widely and think of ways of how this kind of love can be pursued effectively by all. We have to assure everyone that our ideal condition, the perfection and fullness of our humanity would be achieved if we learn how to have this kind of love.

Olympic town warms up as climate change puts Winter Games on thin ice

 

Finland's Elian Lehto speeds down the course of an alpine ski men's downhill portion of a team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Olympic fans came to Cortina, Italy with heavy winter coats and gloves. Those coats were unzipped Sunday and gloves pocketed as snow melted from rooftops — signs of a warming world. Read more

From within the man, from his heart

 

By Manila Bulletin

Published Feb 11, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Feb 10, 2026 05:58 pm

REFLECTIONS TODAY

People are often judged by their external behavior. However, Jesus focuses his attention to the primacy of the “heart”— the interiority of intention and volition.

The Scriptures figuratively use the “heart” (Greek kardia) as the seat and center of human life, since it is the center of man’s personality, and it controls the intellect, emotions, and will. It is not the external things that make us holy or unholy, but the heart which expresses our intentions, our choices, and the will to do all for the love of God. External behavior is the result of what we decide in the heart, and not the other way around.

The standard between good and evil starts from within us and not from outside of us, that is, from the beginning motives/intentions and not just at its ending goals. But the intentions and the desires of the heart are not often holy; in fact, a lot of mundane cravings spring from the heart. The prophet Jeremiah declares: “More tortuous than anything is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9). That is why the heart needs purification and conversion. Furthermore, the Lord declares, “I, the Lord, explore the mind and test the heart, giving to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their deeds” (Jer 17:10).

It is God who judges the real motives and value of things. The heart is the repository of what we hold dear. Jesus declares, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Mt 6:21).

Gospel • Mark 7:14-23

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

GOSSIP GIRL: Starstruck at the booth - DJ Angelica's night with Ina Raymundo at the Don Bosco Victorias Alumni Homecoming

By Giselle Sanchez

Published Feb 10, 2026 10:41 am

Last Saturday in Victorias, Negros, the energy at the Don Bosco Victorias Grand Alumni Homecoming was already electric — until it got an extra jolt of star power. Spinning the night into a full-on celebration was DJ Angelica (@angelica_20dj), whose set became the soundtrack to a memorable reunion. What didn’t she expect? Sharing the moment with two award-winning actresses—Ina Raymundo and yours truly, and yes, I am an award-winning actress as well.

Giselle Sanchez, Ina Raymundo, and DJ Angelica

I caught up with DJ Angelica after her set, and the glow on her face said it all. “Starstruck po ako. I have always idolized Ina Raymundo as a kid. Look at my outfit, it’s giving Ina Raymundo vibes as a Sabado Nights Girl!" she laughed, still buzzing from the night. But what stayed with her wasn’t just the celebrity aura—it was the kindness. She shared how accommodating and genuinely warm Ina was. No diva energy, just real human warmth—the kind that makes you forget you’re talking to a screen icon and remember you’re among fellow women who love the work.

I must agree with Dj Angelika, working with Bench endorser Ina is so easy and anxiety-free. Ina has an aura and demeanor that makes you feel that you are not in the presence of a superstar. Maybe it’s the warmth of a mother Ina possesses. She really lives up to her name, Ina, which means mother. Angelica shared that Ina invited her to sit, eat, and take photos with her- simple gestures that meant the world to a working DJ who had come to deliver vibes, not chase selfies. “Parang barkada mo lang siya. Some actors, although I won't name names, will even tell me to leave the tent, saying that the tent is exclusive to them. But not you and Ina.” She said, describing how easy the conversation flowed. That’s the magic of events like these: when generations and roles blur, and everyone just shows up as themselves.

For DJ Angelica, the night was more than just another gig. It was a reminder that presence matters. I was thankful for kasi may ‘star presence’ yung event,” she admitted, “pero mas thankful ako sa kindness.”

In a scene where clout can feel louder than character, she walked away, reminded that the best stories come from shared tables, not just shared stages.

From the booth, Angelica kept the dance floor alive—reading the crowd, weaving nostalgia with modern beats, and giving the alumni a soundtrack worthy of their homecoming. It’s a skill DJs quietly master: to hold space for joy while being invisible enough for the spotlight to belong to the moment. That night, she did both.

As a performer who’s seen the industry from stage, screen, and backstage chaos, I’m always rooting for the ones who do the work with heart. DJ Angelica is one of those. She shows up prepared, plays with generosity, and carries gratitude in her pocket. That’s the kind of energy that travels far—long after the last track fades and the lights come up.

So here’s to nights where the music hits right, the company feels kind, and the memories linger.

Victorias Negros felt the love last Saturday—and DJ Angelica took home a story she’ll spin for years. DJ Angelika will spin at the BGC Manila House on Feb 14, for their Valentine's Night.

Food for the pure of heart

  

BY JUANA YUPANGCO

FEBRUARY 9, 2026

Halibut steak with brown butter dashi sauce | Photos by Mikey Yabut

Read Next

Nostalgic fashion trends you can still buy (yes, even now) 

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, let me share a short story of food, relationships, and how they all relate—with a fabulous recipe at the end.

I have a friend who dated a guy who liked to cook. The highlight of his culinary repertoire? Creamy sauces made in the French style. This included béchamel, mousseline, beurre blanc, and bearnaise sauce—and these sauces covered everything he cooked, from fish to steak, to eggs, and the little vegetables he ate.

The food covered in sauce also covered his not-so-good personality and pretentious taste in food, which was really a reflection of other pretenses in his life—but let’s save that for another column. This fellow fell under the category of people who think food has to be complicated, reflect a labor of love, or impress people (again, covering up a lot of things).

Newly found Michelangelo foot sketch sells for ₱1.3 billion

 

Rare study for the Sistine Chapel fetches a record price at an auction

By Poch Eulalia

Published Feb 7, 2026 02:14 pm | Updated Feb 10, 2026 09:54 am

RENAISSANCE FEET A foot sketch by Michelangelo has fetched a whopping $23 million at an auction.

While people online are sending out feet pics for free, this newly discovered Michelangelo foot sketch just sold for $23 million (₱1.3 billion) at an auction.

Michelangelo Buonarroti, not to be confused with the ninja turtle, was a driving force for the Renaissance art era. He was best known for his fine sculptures and iconic paintings, such as "The Creation of Adam." Though arguably, one of his most important pieces can be seen gracing the Sistine Chapel's ceiling in Vatican City. His artworks are deemed priceless, but an unsuspecting owner from the US just found out how much one of his sketches is worth after it was sold after 45 minutes of intense bidding at Christie's within the Rockefeller Center in New York.  

'STUDY FOR A FOOT OF THE LIBYAN SIBYL' red chalk, 5x4 inches

The small red chalk sketch can be dated as far back as 1511 to 1512, when Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. According to the anonymous owner, he received the chalk sketch after inheriting it from his grandma. He mentions the sketch had been passed down by their family since the 1700s. He submitted it to Christie's online auction estimate site when it was identified by Giada Damen, a specialist in Christie's Old Master Drawings Department. She used infrared reflectography to study parts of the drawing and cross-referenced it with Michelangelo's drawing at the Metropolitan Museum to verify its authenticity. According to her research, the foot sketch was drawn as practice for the right foot figure of the Libyan Sibyl, at the far east end of the Sistine ceiling.

Michelangelo's foot sketch was sold alongside other works by classical artists like Rembrandt, Titian, and William Blake, among many others. Sold pieces include Artemisia Gentileschi's "Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria" for over $5.7 million (₱333 million) and Canaletto's for $30.54 million (₱1.7 billion).