Valentine's Day or not, the sweetness and beauty of Pinoy love and romance has a long and fabled history.

From the legendary stories of Malakas and Maganda to Florante and Laura of Francisco Baltazar (Balagtas) to the undying lyrics of Dahil sa Iyo to the untold but real-world love stories of Pinoys of today, the magic spark of love continues.

(Video from youtube.com; posted by tipsyvids 01.19.10)

Valentine's Day comes around every February of each year and for most, there has to be that requisite dinner, flowers, chocolate, gifts, telephone calls (via online phone calls or phone cards), texting, greeting cards (eg, Pinoy ecards), or any other tangible form of affection, caring, and attention.

However, the wise or jaded ones know that it doesn't necessarily have to be Valentine's Day or any other designated day for one to specially express one's love and feelings. Paradoxically, when love is true, it becomes the stuff of which dreams and legends are made of. True Pinoy love smolders and is manifested each day from the northernmost tip of Batanes in the north to the southernmost isle of Tawi-Tawi in the south or even outside the country like lovers in Paris, France or wherever overseas Filipino workers or OFWs and Filipino migrants are settled either permanently or temporarily.

Nonetheless, Happy Valentine's to all Pinoy lovers! And a lovely day, each and everyday!