So, picture this: a love story that's no label. None of that "this is what it should look like" nonsense. It's not about fitting into boxes or meeting expectations; it's about two people doing their own thing, with no script, no societal rulebook, just pure love on its own. Their story is not the coolest breeze colliding smoothly along in an instant. There were hurdles and frills too just like other new relationships starting but they withstood it all. And now, no frills, no fuss – just love doing its thing.
Our First of the Firsts
"Our first encounter was during our hospital trust's welcome day event where we coincidentally sat at the same table. Nothing, just two new acquaintances sitting on the same table not even bothered talking to each other. After the induction was finished, no exchange of numbers, we just both carried on our paths, new place, new job, new friends, and new challenges ahead of us. But a few months after that event, our paths crossed again. We were both invited by one of our common friends to her party and that’s when we got to know each other. From then on, we became friends and I guess, the start of building a relationship more meaningful, fun, and beautiful," the couple shared.
Challenges: Bring it on! That's what makes us strong!
"One of the challenges we faced during the start of our relationship was adjusting to each other's indifferences. We have a completely different character "I am more kalog," said Jaja and Gaile is the more serious type. We both have different likes, but in the end, we managed to find our common ground... we both love traveling and we realized we both love eating and trying different cuisines too. So, nowadays, we just love going on dates and eating out even during Valentine's, if our schedule permits, we either dine out, go on a day trip in the countryside, or plan a weekend overnight stay somewhere we can relax and just chill.
Favourite memory together.
"One of the favourite memories that always brings a smile to our faces every time we reminisce about it is our trip to Iceland. That was a hilarious experience. When we went there we just tried to have some fun and enjoy the trip with each other's company despite the bad weather because we just love making the most of our time together. Little did we know that there was an actual snowstorm happening at that very moment, only realizing that the next day," the couple said with smiles on their faces.
Yes, I admit!
"True! It's me, with a big heart and a big appetite too", with a vivacious laugh as Jaja admits it all to herself. As to who between the two is more forgiving and caring. Jaja just took all the credit even quoting herself as the more papansin (attention-seeker) and "matakaw" (the one who has a very big appetite) in the relationship. "But equally, we just support each other. Most especially with our respective career choices, no matter how different they are, we just support and uplift each other," Jaja and Gaile both stated.
What about the societal pressure?
" In any society, we can never please everyone but you can choose a circle that can respect and accept your choices. We are just lucky we are surrounded by good and true friends who accept us and love us for who we are. Being LGBTQ+ is challenging in the society we live in, but we need to respect each other’s opinions and beliefs and always find the good in people," Jaja and Gaile testified.
Photography Credits:
Miko Tetangco - https://www.facebook.com/miko.tetangco.12
Richard DeGuzman - https://www.facebook.com/Sangko24