To have and to hold: Filipino man's wife can't join him on holiday, here's what he does

"To have and to hold" is a phrase commonly used in marriage vows, signifying that the couple will always be by each other's side.

Well, one devoted Filipino man took his wedding vows to the next level since his wife couldn't join him on their holiday. 

Raymond and Joanne Fortunado had initially planned a trip together to Coron, Palawan in early July. However, the latter — who works as a freelance model — had to cancel on her husband at the last minute due to work commitments, reported Philippine news outlet Kami. 

Undeterred, the man decided that he would still like to have his wife by his side, by bringing a goofy pillow of his bae's (a term of endearment) face with him. 

One of the reasons why he did so was to keep his promise of bringing her everywhere he goes, reported Kami.

On July 7, the fitness trainer kickstarted his holiday by posting a video of the pillow on a luggage conveyor belt. 

As he went about exploring the island, Fortunado made sure to include his partner in all his activities. 

In fact, the man posted several vacation photos of himself and his "wife" in various locations. He even managed to get some locals to pose with the pillow. 

In an interview with Philippine news outlet Inquirer, Fortunado said: "I thought of [the idea] because I'm used to being with my wife, and we're very clingy with each other." 

Fortunado also shared that the couple actually had a tiff on the morning he left for the trip. 

However, upon seeing the wacky photos that he shared on his Facebook, his wife quickly brightened up. 

In fact, she was there to pick him up at the airport, and even gamely posed with the pillow. 

And just in case you're worried if his wife was all alone at home, it turns out she might have had some company too. 

Back in 2016, a Taiwanese couple also took some quirky photos while on holiday in Hawaii. 

Playing off the trend where a woman holds her boyfriend's hand while posing in front of tourist attractions, Forrest Lu and his wife Agnes Chien created their own version of the trend. 

In one of the photos, instead of holding her husband's hand, Chien had her fingers in Lu's nostrils as they headed toward the Pearl Harbour Museum. 

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claudiatan@asiaone.com