Gem Melanie M.

Siega
GE10A - R

● Appearance or personality in choosing a partner.

○ I feel that both are important in a person because appearance attracts but
personality makes you stay. This is not to say that someone has to be the
stereotype pretty. Instead just someone who fits my taste of pretty. The person
also has to be good personality wise so that I or others wouldn't have to police
them constantly.

● Have a relationship now or later after study.

○ I think it's nice to have a relationship now. Although some people would
discourage it as it may be distracting to one’s studies, the experience and
lessons a relationship one can incur from is very much applicable in every aspect
as we grow older. Being in a relationship while studying allows for a person to
realize their priorities and how to manage their time. As well as that, one
develops a sense of understanding that’s more intimate than with friends. And
even if the relationship doesn’t work out in the end, the lessons it teaches can
give us an insight within ourselves like understanding our own mental and
emotional capacities. There are lessons which only certain relationships can
teach you.

● Marry at an early age or later.

○ Contrary to my opinion on when one should have a relationship, I think marrying
later is the better option. This is because I personally would want to grow into a
career first before having to think of a family.

● Church or Civil wedding.

○ Either would be legitimate for me. It really would depend on my budget for a
wedding. Although the glamour of a church wedding is envious, a civil wedding
would still symbolize a union together. So either of the two should be okay.

● Work here in the country or abroad.

○ There is a pressing matter of brain drain in the country and I wouldn’t want to
contribute to that. But if by the time I’m applying for jobs and working and the
state of the industry or country isn’t beneficial for me, working abroad wouldn’t
seem so daunting. I would want to live comfortably and the country's minimum
wage doesn't actually leave room to spare for most middle class workers. Not
just that, working abroad would mean opening yourself to new experiences and
opportunities. I’d like to stay in the country but rationally, I would choose to work
in another country.

● Stay near or away from parents.

○ Again, contrary to my thoughts on staying or leaving the country, I would want to
be near my parents. They do encourage me to leave the country as I wish in the
future but I would want them to still be around me. This is mostly just attachment
as their daughter but there is a sense of comfort in being surrounded by
 familiarity. But leaving home is something my relatives encourage as it fosters a
deeper sense of independence.

● Both working or just one spouse.

○ Both working spouses. I don't believe in having only one breadwinner of the
family. I also dislike the thought of being dependent on someone else to help me
survive. I believe partners can strike a balance in their love life and worklife.

● With a Yaya or DIY in rearing a baby.

○ Both would be ideal for me since I would want to be working and growing in a
career and I wouldn’t be able to do that if I were to be a full time parent. It isn’t
bad to ask for help. I would focus both on being a parent and career woman. I’d
spend my day working and my nights caring for a child. That’s how I’d envision it.

● Money and material possessions or strong family bond.

○ It is undeniable that money is very essential to survive in this modern world.
Strong relationship bonds are also a human necessity. I think both play really big
roles in a person.

● Commitment or personal comfort.

○ I would choose personal comfort over commitment. This is because it is
important that in anything I do, I am able to feel comfortable. There’s no point in
me doing something if it's something I don't feel good doing or committing to.

● Same sex marriage.

○ I personally believe that everyone should be given equal rights. If straight people
are given the right to wed, why don’t the lgbtq+ get the same? Sexuality is a
different and separate aspect from spirituality yet they make up one person.
Wishes of a person should be granted especially if it's in the name of love.

● Divorce.
○ I think it’s high time the Philippines make divorce legal. A country that can place
corrupt people in high positions of society but can’t give people the second
chance at commitment is a country that moves backwards. Why should we
continuously deny people of their wishes to wed because of their past?