Mikael Daez, Megan Young share their non-negotiables in marriage

There are many factors that contribute to a happy relationship like love, trust, attention, patience, openness, etc. The list may be simple but it can still be difficult for any couple to stick together when misunderstandings and problems arise.

For married couple Mikael Daez and Megan Young, talking to each other is one of the best ways to keep their marriage healthy and successful. The two have been together for 13 years and not a single issue regarding their relationship has ever been heard about.

“I think Megan and I are very open with each other,” began Mikael who showed up on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda with Megan for the exclusive interview in a Korean boy band-inspired getup that looked good on him. “All of our issues, we would take them both in our own ways. And when we found the solution, we looked back and asked each other what we learned from that.”

They never denied about having had arguments in the past but Megan was first to admit that they never resorted to shouting matches. “There were very few instances that we had intense arguments, na mataas ang boses, mataas ang emotions but never kami nag-sisigawan at never kami nag-kakasakitan,” explained the Miss World 2013.

Cheating, Megan added, can ruin not just marriage but any relationship. “My non-negotiable is no cheating. If you cheated, then the relationship is finished,” she stressed.

Mikael, on the other hand, has two non-negotiables that he believes are the core of their relationship. “First is complete honesty. It doesn’t have to be instant, but we always have to continually build towards that. The second one is (looking at Megan), you need to be able to take care of yourself.”

Mikael added that as humans, committing mistakes is normal but one has to be able to accept the consequences.

“Para sa akin, I’m ready if I make a mistake, and there is a consequence that I have to bear for the rest of my life, then so be it,” he said.

Megan said cheating cannot be considered as unintentional in response to my hypothetical question, “What if one says the cheating that he/she committed was merely a mistake?” “Paano nangyari ‘yun in the first place? Marami ng instances bago ka nag-cheat per se. Una pa lang hindi na siya naging honest so na-break na yung pinaka core which is honesty. Yes, naging honest ka at that point na nag-confess ka, pero bago pa ‘yun ay dishonest ka.”

On the issue of jealousy, Megan shared that both of them are outgoing, which can occasionally be misinterpreted as flirting. She and Mikael talk about these things and remind each other of their limits.

Whenever there are instances that Mikael feels that someone is flirting with his wife, he said that Megan has his full trust. “I have full faith in Megan that she can handle it. I fully trust my wife, Bonez (his term of endearment for Megan).”

Mikael added that with honesty and open communication in their relationship, it’s not hard to support each other’s interests. Mikael is techie and adventurous while Megan is a huge K-pop fan.

“That’s one of the biggest strengths of our relationship kaya hindi kami nawawalan ng gana sa isa’t-isa kasi kung saan napupunta (si Megan), willing ako pumunta at willing siya pumunta kung nasaan man ako,” Mikael offered.

Megan added that she doesn’t see any reason for her to stop Mikael from doing the things that will not cause any harm. “Why will I stop him from doing the things that make him happy, wala naman siyang sinasaktang ibang tao? I let him enjoy and he lets me enjoy, that’s harmony.”

I asked if they could share their vows for each other and Mikael and Megan happily obliged.

Mikael told Megan, “I vow to always make the most out of life with you — in the good times and bad times.”

Megan, who equally expressed her pledge of love, said, “I will always work towards being better and better every day.”

Mikael and Megan wed in 2020 after going steady for more than 10 years.