A survey undertaken by an insurance firm has found that money and technology are the biggest sources of arguments among Filipino couples.
The Pru Life UK Relationship Index, which sought to understand the state of personal relationships in Asia, covered more than 5,000 respondents in the Philippines, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
While the Philippines ranked second in terms of relationship fulfillment, the research found that money is the usual source of arguments here, with 46 percent of couples admitting they argue about it.
Second to money is technology, with 41 percent citing they argue about the lack of attention, and 37 percent complaining about spending too much time on phone or computer.
The study also highlighted the “digital divide”, as couples and parents were found to compete with smartphones for love and attention.
Majority (37 percent) of couples cited time spent on mobile phones or computers as reason for arguments, and 24 percent cited that their partners sometimes prefer using their phones than spending intimate time with them.
With this problem, 94 percent of the Filipino respondents consider giving up technology for a day so they could spend more time with their loved ones.
Antonio De Rosas, Pru Life UK chief executive officer, noted that technology devices have intruded people?s personal spaces.
?We are often distracted by phones and computers, to the extent that we sometimes fail to be present in the company of our loved ones,? he added. — Ma. Cristina C. Arayata, PNA
