BALANGA CITY — Sixty couples from 25 barangays here exchanged “I dos” in a memorable mass wedding held on Valentine’s Day, Wednesday.
Mayor Francis Garcia officiated in the civil wedding at the flower-decked Emiliana Hall in the city attended by members of the sangguniang panglungsod, barangay chairmen, and some city hall department heads.
Before the wedding rites, some couples narrated their love stories and recalled how they met each other and fell in love.
Tricycle driver Oscar Talastas, 69, said he had Amelita de Leon, 61, and her friend for passengers some years ago. He said he was kiddingly told by Amelita’s friend that “kung maghahanap ka ng makakasama na magiging asawa ay si Amelita na.”
With that cue, from then on, the tricycle driver patiently courted Amelita. The two are the oldest couple in the mass wedding.
Another couple said their love story started when they met in a videoke and experienced many minor quarrels but finally resulted in their love for each other. The third couple fell in love after match-making.
After the marriage ceremony marked with the wearing of the rings, marriage vows and kissing, some couples were asked of their personal pledge to each other. They professed of their love for each other and to be true to each other “till the end of time.”
Mayor Garcia told the newlyweds to always seek the guidance of the Lord to be able to support the family.
“Kayo ay gift ni God to each other so i-cherish talaga ninyo ang isa’t isa. Ang pamilya ang pinaka-importante hindi lang sa ating buhay pati of course sa ating barangay, sa ating lungsod, sa ating probinsiya at sa ating bansa,” the mayor said. “Kapag okay ang pamilya, ang pagmamahalan, doon naso-solve na lahat ng problema o karamihan ng problema sa ating lipunan kasi kapag okay ang pamilya, kapag matatag ang ating family, ang ating extended family ay nagtutulungan, halos lahat ng ating problema ay naso-solve.”
“Pero nasa inyo bilang mag-asawa, nasa inyo ang tungkulin upang mapalaki ang inyong mga anak. Pag-aralin ng mabuti, turuan ng magandang asal para sa kanilang paglaki ay maipagpapatuloy nila ang pagiging mabuting mamamayan at maging mapagmahal din sa kanilang mga magulang,” Garcia added.
