Having been married for more than a decade, Vice President Sara Duterte surely has something to impart to newlywed couples who are starting their journey into married life.

As the guest speaker during the 62nd mass wedding sponsored by Parañaque City 2nd District Rep. Gus Tambunting on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, the official was in a lighthearted mood as she advised couples not to leave or replace their partners.

“Ang pangatlo at huling (The third and last) advice ay kapag kayo naghiwalay, wag na po kayong mag-aasawa ulit dahil ang sinabi ng Diyos (if you separate, don’t get married again because God said) . . . kapag hindi po kayo (if you are not) patient and kind sa unang asawa ninyo ay sigurado po akong hindi pa rin kayo (with your first spouse, you won’t still be) patient and kind sa pangalawang asawa ninyo (with your second spouse),” she told the newlywed couples gathered at the Activity Area Ground Floor, SM City Bicutan in Brgy. Don Bosco, Parañaque City.

“Kaya wag nyo na po palitan ‘yan dahil ang susunod ay ganyan pa rin. Kaya ang sabi ng Diyos (That’s why don’t replace them because it’ll be the same with your next partner. And that’s why God said) till death do us part,” Duterte added.

The Vice President said these “few reminders” will “hopefully make your married life more blissful and a little less stressful.”

Among the things that Duterte said married couples must do is talk, plan, and discuss how many kids they can afford to send to school.

Also the concurrent Education chief, the Vice President put special emphasis on the importance of family planning.

Turning to the women in the audience, Duterte gave them another piece of advice: “Ganito po ang (This is what we should) memorize natin mga kaibigan ko: ang (my friends:) sorry ay para sa mga bagay na hindi sinasadya. Kapag sinadya mo, dapat ay magbayad ka (is for things you don’t mean. If you mean them, you should pay for them).”

She also has another piece of advice for couples when it comes to crying profusely.

“Kapag kayo po ay umiiyak, wag po kayo humiga dahil mahihirapan po kayong huminga. Kaya po kapag umiyak kayo dapat ay nakaupo at dapat mayroon basong tubig sa tabi nyo dahil para marami po kayong mailuha (When you are crying, don’t lie down because it’ll be hard for you to breathe. When you cry, you should be sitting up and there should be a glass of water beside you so you can cry more),” Duterte said, much to the delight of the audience.

“Habang umiiyak, inom kayo nang inom ng tubig para mas madami pang luha pero dapat ay nakaupo. Mahirap mag-emote kapag mahirap huminga (While crying, you should drink a lot of water so there’ll be more tears but you should be sitting. It’s hard to emote when you can’t breathe),” she added.

In her speech, the Vice President underscored the importance of legalizing one’s union because of the protection afforded by the laws, such as personal tax exemptions and employment benefits, such as social security, housing, disability benefits, PhilHealth and death benefits.

She also jokingly said that the couples can save more in the coming years because they would celebrate Valentine’s Day and their wedding anniversaries on the same day.