CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, Feb. 15 (PNA) — A total of 81 couples were united in wedlock on Valentine’s Day, Friday, a gift provided by Pag-IBIG Fund, in partnership with the city government headed by Mayor Julius Cesar V. Vergara.
Citing the program as a sound gesture of family solidarity, Vergara expressed delight on the concern showed by Pag-IBIG Fund, especially on lover’s day.
The wedding rites, officiated in by Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Angelo C. Perez, presiding judge of Branch 27, exhorted the brides and the grooms to honor their vows before the laws of God and man for their union to be blessed in eternal bliss.
The mass wedding ceremonies were held at the Lumang Bahay, in Valdefuente, with all the pomp and grandeur of a virtual royal wedding with roses, rings and cakes plus a sumptuous luncheon party all provided “gratis et amore” by Pag-IBIG Fund.
For his part, city administrator Jose Roy Balagtas, who represented mayor Vergara, welcomed the newly-acquired status of the newly-weds as a form of a solid partnership between the local government and its constituents in this continuing quest for progress and change.
Also present during the affair were Mary Jocelyn Retuya, Pag-IBIG Area head, Fanny Posada, Religious Affairs consultant, Elizabeth Rayo, provincial officer of the National Statistics Office and Susan Dallo-Santos, of the office of the city’s Local Civil Registry.
Both offices contributed their share in establishing eligibility of the parties to contract marriage.
According to Dorina Y. Mangunay, Pag-IBIG Cabanatuan branch office chief, the annual “I do, I do” rites is on its third year.
She said that in partnership with Mayor Vergara, the affair here now was exclusively for Cabanatuan residents and Pag-IBIG member couples in line with the mayor’s motto “Ang Cabanatuan ay para sa Cabanatueño.
Cruzette dela Cruz, Member Services Officer reported that the NSO and LCR offices contributed a lot in making the affair a huge success as they joined their offices in searching for the bona-fide residents who have no disqualification in contracting marriage.
Other than an electronic drawing of lots been scheduled for the lucky couple winner of a house and lot worth about P500,000, Mangunay announced the raffling of at least 15 23-inch TV sets to the newlyweds. (PNA)