MASS WEDDING. General Trias City Mayor Antonio Ferrer (in polo barong) congratulates one of the 48 newly-wed couples at the reception following the free mass wedding he solemnized and acted as godfather at the GenTri Cultural and Convention Center in Cavite City on Friday (June 22, 2018). (Photo by Dennis Abrina)
GENERAL TRIAS CITY, Cavite – It was not too late for some 48 couples, who have been living in for years, to finally tie the knot during the “Sabayang Kasalan” (mass wedding) Friday at the Cultural and Convention Center in Barangay Sampalukan, this city.
Mayor Antonio Ferrer was the usual “grand ninong” (godfather) and officiated the ceremony for the “June brides and grooms” with their principal witnesses Vice Mayor Morit Sison, Cavite Provincial Board Member Kerby Salazar and City Civil Registrar Arlene Bugtong.
Some city officials also stood as “ninongs and ninangs” (principal wedding sponsors) at the request of the brides and grooms who later had their traditional pre-nuptial and post-wedding ceremony pictorials.
Ferrer said the city government limits the wedding en masse to around 50 couples to lend solemnity to the wedding rites.
He said all expenses of the wedding rites including the simple reception were shouldered by the city government.
“To the newly-weds, may tip ako sa inyo, para di tumagal ang away ninyong mag-asawa:Huwag ninyong papatagalin ng magdamag ang away ninyo. "Mahal sorry, kasalanan ko, I Love You. Congratulations at Best Wishes ho sa inyong lahat (to the newly-weds, I have a tip for all of you so you would not prolong your misunderstanding: Never extend your quarrel till the next day. “Love, I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I love you. Congratulations and Best Wishes to all of you),” Ferrer advised.
The city’s free annual mass wedding is aimed at encouraging the local unwed couples, who are usually in convenient “live-in” relationship, to legalize their marriage not only for the couples’ sakes but also for their children so they could acquire legitimate status in their civil registry documents.
The mass wedding organizers also chose the youngest couple -- 20 year-old groom-husband Prince Rivera and his 19 year-old bride-wife Erica Cordova Rivera, who is now eight months pregnant.
The oldest couple was Arnel Asercion, 59, and wife Lucila Sipan, 60, who were excited that they were finally joined in holy matrimony after 28 years.
After the wedding rites, Cavite Congressman Luis Ferrer IV distributed wedding gift packs to all the newly-weds.
City hall wedding coordinators said the free mass wedding has already benefited more than a hundred unwed couples in the city since it started in 2013. (Dennis Abrina/PNA)
