Filipinos abroad hire Cupids to serenade lovers
MANILA (AP) - Angelica Nino, a 22-year-old manager of a Manila restaurant, was preparing to assign shifts to her crew last week when she got a big surprise from her Filipino boyfriend who has been in Italy for a year on business.
To mark their first anniversary as a couple and as an early Valentine's Day gift, he sent over a singer and a guitar player to serenade her and read out his love letter.
This scene will be played out Thursday in restaurants, offices and homes across the Philippines on Valentine's Day.
With nearly 10 percent of the country's 94 million people working abroad, clearly there was room for someone to play Cupid between long-distance lovers. And then was born a unique surprise serenade service, which includes love songs, a cuddly teddy and a video recording of the romance-by-proxy event that is shipped to the client abroad. To immortalise their love, the video is also posted on YouTube.













