Singled in

Fiona Patricia S. Escandor discovers the perks and ‘perils’ of being young, free and single

ROMANTIC love was first associated with the feast of St. Valentine in a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer back in the middle ages. In an old English piece about birds and mating, he unintentionally declared Feb. 14 as the day of love, making him partly responsible for all the flying cupids and heart-shaped décor strewn everywhere these days.

Now depending on which side of the spectrum you’re in, you’d either thank Chaucer or hate him. Yet it’s easy to assume that the unattached have no love lost for the bard.

To be single is to hate Valentine’s Day. That kind of misconception, of course, is oh so medieval.

Living proof to debunk such a misconception are the lovely trio of April, Ella and Mia—independent, single ladies who have opted not to jump in the Valentine’s Day hate brigade.

April, Ella and Mia are of Miss Cebu fame. Mia Ali Faridoon held the Miss Cebu title in 2011, while Ella Beverly Sarmago and April Ann Claire White were part of the 2012 roster, in which Ella was 2nd runner-up.

Focus, ladies

People—especially those with a penchant for stereotypes—find it surprising that these three beautiful, intelligent women remain unattached. But April, Ella and Mia don’t mind. Besides, they couldn’t be more focused on their career, their relationships with family and friends, and reacquainting themselves with their individuality.

At present, Mia is a host of television game show Kapamilya Mas Winner Ka, while April
is a marketing officer for a real estate firm, and law school student Ella is a part-time public relations officer with occasional hosting gigs on the side.

“I guess when you’re single you tend to focus more on self-improvement and personal goals because there are no distractions,” says Mia.

“Being single keeps you on the right track straight to your ambitions. Besides, I think it’s better to wait for a time when you can give justice to a relationship than ruin it because of you and your partner’s different professional interests,” says
Ella.

If there’s one thing that irks Ella, though, it’s when people ask her what she calls the “3Ws.” She says, “I hate it when people ask me: What? You’re single? Since when? Why?”

n no hurry

Nevertheless, they’re not in a hurry to give in to social pressures. Past relationships have taught them to be careful, to be more mindful of who they invest their emotions in, and according to April, to “think before committing.”

April, Ella and Mia are taking their time off the dating field and having fun while they are at it.

“I want to say that when you’re single, you can flirt as you please, but it’s really more on knowing who you’re dating,” says Ella.

April admits that there are days she misses that “happy, fuzzy feeling” of being in a relationship. “Maybe it’s hormonal, but there are times when I feel like some nights are colder than others, how it would be great to talk about my day to someone, aside from friends and family,” she says.

“But at the end of the day, you know he’s out there. So make the most of the time you have for yourself. He or she can wait,” April says. “It’s easier to make the most of ourselves and fly sky-high when there aren’t any strings attached, and in order to be the happiest with someone, we need to prepare so that we can be the best person for our future best person as well.”

Just another day

Shortly after Valentine’s Day, the three ladies revealed how they spent the fourteenth, a “red-letter” day that drove boyfriends, lovers and hopeless romantics to a frenzy.

“Work, then gym. It was just like any other ordinary day. I spent the following day with my mom because it was her birthday,” April shares.

As for Ella, she says: “I went to work in the morning, law school in the evening, and then had a celebratory dinner and had drinks with my girl friends—including Mia. Just because we’re single doesn’t mean we couldn’t have fun on that day either.”

That’s another advantage of being single, Ella cited. Lightheartedly, she adds: “We work hard and party harder, while those in a relationship work hard and pray harder that their partner will allow them to party.”