A Filipina from Palawan has gone viral for sharing her love story with an American man she met on a dating app. Jolina, 23, used her social media platform to challenge the common negative mentality surrounding Filipinas in relationships with foreigners, emphasizing that her relationship is built on mutual support and hard work.
Jolina recounted how she often receives comments suggesting she married a foreigner to escape poverty. “’Yung mindset natin na ‘isang Pinay nanaman ang nakaahon sa kahirapan’ lagi kong nare-receive ‘yan sa mga comments sa TikTok. Pero sa akin po, hindi po ako agree doon,” she said in an interview with The Philippine STAR. She clarified that she and her fiancé, Alex Woods, work together to improve their lives, adding, “Pareho naming i-aangat ‘yung mga buhay namin sa kahirapan.”
Their love story began in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when Jolina decided to try using a dating app, unfamiliar with such platforms at the time. Surprisingly, her first match turned out to be Alex, a man based in the U.S. Their initial conversation started when Alex playfully called her his “future wife,” and Jolina responded in kind.
Although hesitant at first, Jolina’s doubts about Alex being genuine quickly disappeared after their first video call. Over time, their bond deepened despite the physical distance, and Alex made his first trip to the Philippines in April 2023 to meet Jolina and her family.
“There was no awkwardness when we met for the first time. We hit it off, and everything was great,” Alex recalled.
By August 2023, Alex had returned to the Philippines with a special plan—to propose to Jolina. With the help of his family, he surprised her during her oathtaking ceremony after passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers.
The couple is now set to tie the knot in Hawaii later this year, proving that love transcends cultural and geographical boundaries.
