If February 14 used to feel like a deadline, that pressure is fading fast. New nationwide data from Agile Data Solutions Inc. show that for many Filipinos, being single is no longer a waiting room. It is a choice.

According to survey findings gathered through Hustle PH, 68% of single respondents say they are single by choice. Not recovering. Not unlucky. Choosing. Agile Data Solutions Inc. calls this shift “Intentional Singlehood,” where being single is strategic and self-directed rather than transitional.

“The idea that everyone must be in a relationship by a certain age is slowly losing its hold,” said Jason Gaguan, Chairman and Co-Founder of Agile Data Solutions Inc. “What we’re seeing is intentional singlehood — people choosing stability, growth, or peace before partnership.”

Among singles, more than 40% say they are prioritizing personal, career, or financial goals. Another 20% say they simply have not met the right person yet. The message is clear. Relationships are being sequenced around life plans, not treated as a prerequisite for adulthood.

Even as Valentine’s Day remains loud and commercial, emotions are calmer. Sixty-six percent of respondents feel neutral as the holiday approaches, while 64% say it feels overly romanticized. About 27% say they sometimes feel pushed to be in a relationship, and 26% of singles occasionally feel left out. But 39% feel no pressure at all.

Spending patterns tell the same story. Thirty-two percent spend the day with family, slightly more than the 29% who celebrate with a romantic partner. And 64% say Valentine’s today feels more about enjoyment than romance.

Self-spending is also intentional. Around 80% say spending on themselves makes them feel good, and more than 73% report emotional returns from self-spending. Among Gen Z singles, 42% spend to celebrate themselves and 29% to reward hard work or stress.

When 68% say they are single by choice, Valentine’s stops being a test. It becomes just another day, and that changes everything.