Pinoys prefer brains over body, health over love

MANILA, Philippines — Four in five adult Filipinos are more attracted to a person’s brains than to the body, according to a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The poll, taken from Dec. 13 to 16, 2019 and released on Valentine’s Day yesterday, found 81 percent of Filipinos declaring preference for brains over body, and 19 percent saying the opposite.

This was similar to the result of a December 2002 survey. In this survey, however, the percentage of respondents who declared the opposite was one percentage point lower.

By gender, 83 percent of women are more attracted to a person’s brains than body, slightly higher than the 78 percent among men.

The respondents were also asked: “If you could have only one of the following, which would you pick: money, health, or love?” Seventy percent of Filipinos chose health, 23 percent chose love and seven percent money.

Overall, 72 percent of women prefer health over love and money, higher than the 67 percent among men.

Among women, the proportion of those who prefer health was highest among married respondents at 76 percent, followed by those with live-in partners at 72 percent and those who are single at 65 percent.

Among men, it was highest among those with live-in partners at 79 percent, followed by those who are single at 70 percent and those married at 63 percent.

On the other hand, those who prefer love were highest among married men and women with live-in partners at 30 percent and 23 percent, respectively.

Those who prefer money were highest among single men at eight percent and single women at 14 percent.

Compared to December 2002, preference for health rose by 16 points, while preference for love and money fell by 12 points and four points, respectively, the SWS said.

Meanwhile, more than half or 54 percent of Filipinos claimed to have a “very happy” love life while 32 percent said “it could be happier” and 14 percent saying they “do not have a love life.”

This was similar to the December 2018 poll, when 51 percent said they were very happy with their love life, 36 percent said it could be happier and 13 percent said they had no love life.

Since 2002, around half of adult Filipinos have been claiming to have a very happy love life, ranging from the record-low 46 percent in 2004 to the record-high 59 percent in 2011, the SWS said.

Happiness with love life was highest among men and those who are married, according to the survey.

It found 60 percent of men saying they are very happy with their love life, higher than the 49 percent among women.

Married men and married women also have a happier love life compared to their single and with live-in partner counterparts, the pollster said.

The nationwide survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults aged 18 years old and above.