MANILA, Philippines—Can love really be sweeter the second time around?

Only if we learn from our mistakes. “Sweeter, yes, because we learned from the mistakes of our first one,” says Ivan, a 25-year-old banker in Manila.

“Maybe not necessarily sweeter, but definitely wiser,” says Janice, a 30-year-old product manager who works in Makati City. “As humans, we are weak and we make mistakes. But as humans also, we are capable of learning and improving. That is why everyone deserves a second chance.”

“The new person you are with will grow with you and hopefully you’ll do it right this time,” she adds.

For Wayne, a 32-year-old accountant from Pasay City, it depends on one crucial thing: “As long as both parties let go of the hatred and misunderstanding that caused their break-up, a lovelier second chance is possible.”

If, like Wayne, Janice and Ivan, you also believe love can be sweeter the second time around, then you are with 51 percent of Filipinos who also believe so, a survey by the Social Weather Stations showed.

The Fourth Quarter 2014 Social Weather Survey asked respondents: “How much do you believe or not believe in the saying that love is sweeter the second time around?” Twenty percent said they “strongly” believe it, 31 percent “somewhat” believe it, while 20 percent are undecided.

On the other hand, 12 percent said they “somewhat” do not believe in the saying, whereas 17 percent said they “strongly” do not believe it.

The survey interviewed 1,800 respondents, of whom 21 percent were single, 63 percent were married and 16 percent had live-in partners.

Among the men surveyed, 24 percent were single, 63 percent were married while 13 percent had live-in partners. Among women, 19 percent were single, 63 percent were married while 18 percent had live-in partners.

Aside from the question on the saying “love is sweeter the second time around”, the December 2014 survey also asked respondents to assess their love life and about falling in love a second time.

“In the six SWS surveys about happiness in love life so far (2002, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014), an average of 54 percent have said it is very happy, 36 percent have said it could be happier, and 11 percent have said they have no love life,” SWS said in a statement.

In 2014, nearly half (49 percent) called their love life “very happy”, while 40 percent said it could be happier and 11 percent said they have no love life.

About a third (27 percent) said they have already fallen in love the second time around, while the rest said otherwise. Kate Pedroso, Inquirer Research