Sorry folks, I am not talking about being a medical doctor or a physician or even close to this but about matters of the heart. M.D. Stands for “Matandang Dalaga” in Tagalog and that means a spinster in English. Have you heard of someone saying that he or she is a member of the Samahan ng mga Malulungkot at Nag iisa or maybe you have heard of the Samahan ng Malalamig ang Pasko? These are just a few of the acronyms lonely singles living abroad have made up to laugh at their situation inspite of the actual seriousness of it.

When I lived in the US, I have found out that many men and women kababayans from the Philippines actually have trouble finding relationships. For men, it’s common for them who are in their 30’s or nearing that age to have yearly trips to the Philippines to find a wife. No kidding and this is no laughing matter either. They try to network and ask the help of their relatives to get them set up with a date with a nice and decent Filipina from our country. And next thing you know his friends abroad would hear that so and so is already engaged or even married to a lady from the Philippines whom he met during a vacation. I think this is more common among guys but I did also have lady friends who had long-distance boyfriends who were in the Philippines and they were matched up by friends and family. Some unfortunately led nowhere and were the cause of much heartbreak.

I also lived in the US as a single lady for ..tsk.. tsk .. 9 years! Oh my God I’m old. Anyways, continuing with the topic, when I was in the US I was in a huge network of single working Filipinos that were in the age range of 25 – 40. I also met the so-called old timers in the US such as those who came there in the 70’s and 80’s. Sad to say though, but I saw a lot of single nurses in their 40’s and some who accumulated a lot of savings but were unfortunate with finding a life partner. It was an eye opener for me. The prospects didn’t seem very good at all if I were to judge with how the ones that came before me are doing. Even in my group there was this so called MD group of ladies in their mid 30’s who meet regularly for mahjongs and party every weekend but for years they were all single. I think it’s because they see each other way too much and didn’t risk going out there on their own to finally meet someone. On the other hand, I am happy to say that these MD group of lady friends of mine are ALL no longer single . One of them who was the oldest, she was above 40 when she married a Pinoy OFW guy from another country. The last time I saw her, she proudly showed me her engagement ring. Everyone was already afraid that she would end up being a spinster and just one day I meet her with such great news. Some ended up with local American guys, can be black, white, Chinese, Portuguese, Indians, Egyptian you name it! Pinays seem much more open to other cultures than Filipino men in my observation. I know only a handful if not zero Filipino guys who married or are dating non-Filipinas.

But anyways, for those I know who are still single up to now they remained single because they were either extremely picky or idealistic but also just not that lucky. I am talking about those who left a boyfriend back home or those who were victims of past failed relationships. They are the ones who seem more careful and conservative when it comes to starting a new relationship. There are also those who have very demanding jobs and find zero time to develop their social lives.

There is still hope as long as we are still alive no matter what our age is. I know also of a lady in her mid to late 40’s, a nurse, who attended a Catholic pilgrimage and there she found her future husband. Life is really full of surprises. I myself am surprised that I have been no longer single for close to 4 years! I’ve been single so long that I still relate to ladies who are lonely and single. I was one for quite a while but as soon as I realized there is a way and there is hope I knew I was ready for a relationship. First, I still had to sort out my priorities and cleanup the clutter in my life and next thing you know I am sharing my life with another individual. That also, is something one has to be really prepared for so really no need to hurry..! If you are still single, enjoy, travel, make money, save money, and pamper yourself. And moreover, don’t forget, maybe it’s your city and surely not you that’s a problem. Check the demographics of your city what age group or status the people are in and maybe then you might be living in a wrong place full of families with kids or retirees! If that’s the case, move, move! Or even better, maybe look online who knows where it will lead you but of course be careful as always!