Pag-IBIG to host free mass wedding

CEBU, Philippines - A free mass wedding will be once again hosted by Pag-IBIG Fund on February 12.

This year, Pag-IBIG is targeting to surpass last year’s batch of 100 couples – solemnized by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama at Fort San Pedro – as it seeks to raise the number to 400.

According to Victoria De La Peña, Pag-IBIG vice president for Visayas and Mindanao, the “I Do. I Do. Araw Ng Pag-ibig” expansion aims to reach out to more Pag-IBIG members.

“For our interested couples, all they need to do is bring the marriage license and the rest is on us. It will be done on February 12. We initially wanted to do it on Valentine’s Day but it’s a weekend and the civil wedding might be null and void. We also skipped the day before because some call it Friday the 13th,” De La Peña said.

The mass wedding, to be solemnized by Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, will be done inside the convention hall of J Centre Mall in Mandaue City.

Standing as automatic principal sponsors are Vice President Jejomar Binay, who also chairs the Pag-IBIG, and the Pag-IBIG vice president.

Each couple is allotted P1,500 that includes the reception venue, buffet lunch, bride’s bouquet, flowers and decoration, photo booth, and symbolic ring, among others, said Pag-IBIG North Central and Eastern Visayas area head Sulpicio Villegas.

A raffle prize is also at stake.

Interested couples must prepare birth certificate from Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics Office), certificate of no marriage (CENOMAR) for new couples, and affidavit of cohabitation for those who have been living together for at least five years.

Registration forms are available at any Pag-IBIG offices in Mandaue, Mactan, Danao, Bogo, Cebu City Ayala, Cebu City-Colon Street, and Talisay City.

As of the moment, 100 couples have already registered and Pag-IBIG is inviting more couples to avail of the program. — (FREEMAN)