Sarah Geronimo was advised by a fan to “get married” during a concert in New York and her response to the incident reveals a global trend among millennials of delaying marriage.
Geronimo was in the middle of a speech during her 15th-anniversary concert when the fan shouted, catching her off-guard and prompting an extensive reply.
Geronimo answered, “‘Wag po kayong ganyan! Kausapin niyo po ‘yung nanay ko! ‘Wag po kayong ganyan, nagtatrabaho po ako!”
Marriage and millennials
It is common in Filipino culture for elders to ask their younger relatives “when will you get married?” a phenomenon that has sparked internet memes and gags that many millennials can relate to.
In a 2017 study titled ‘The Changing Economics and Demographics of Young Adulthood: 1975-2016,’ it was reported that young people are prioritizing their education and career over marriage nowadays.
It noted that millennials (ages 18 to 34-years-old) consider “education and economic accomplishments” as “extremely important milestones of adulthood.”
Geronimo, 29, previously said that she is not yet ready to settle down. As a guest on ‘Tonight With Boy Abunda‘ in 2017, she said, “‘Yung totoo po, gusto kong isipin na handa na ako, pero hindi pa. Gusto ko, pero hindi pa.”
“That’s the truth. I want to be selfish sa partner ko. Kasi para mahanap mo ang Mr. Right mo, dapat maging Ms. Right ka muna,” she continued.
Matteo Guidicelli, 28, her four-year boyfriend, also expressed his views in a more recent interview. According to him, he is still prioritizing his goals as of the moment.
He shared, “But I still have lots of goals, a lot of dreams. I still have a lot of personal goals I want to achieve. We’re still moving forward.”
Although marriage is not prioritized by their generation, the study of ‘The Changing Economics and Demographics of Young Adulthood: 1975-2016’ said that millennials are still interested in the prospect.
It said: “Young people are delaying marriage, but most still eventually tie the knot. In the 1970s, 8 in 10 people married by the time they turned 30. Today, not until the age of 45 have 8 in 10 people married.”
Another report by Gallup indicates that millennials are still wanting to sort their lives first before committing to another person.
The top six reasons are as follows:
- They have not yet found the right person
- They are not yet ready or consider themselves too young
- Due to financial or money-related reasons
- Other personal reasons
- They have no time
- They are still prioritizing their careers.
It suggests that millennials are more particular when it comes to the topic since they want to settle down with the right person or stabilize themselves first.