CEBU, Philippines - Guillermo Tan, 68, wanted to join the Knight of Columbus in their parish, but there was one main requirement – he and her live-in partner Tripona, 66, should get married first.
The couple complied with the requirement and after 40 years of living together, finally tied the knot yesterday joining 63 other couples in a mass wedding sponsored by the Cebu City government.
The ceremony was held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral Church.
The event was spearheaded by the Cebu City Women and Family Affairs Commission chaired by Councilor Mary Ann De Los Santos.
“This is to legalize those couples who have been living for quite some time and could not afford to shoulder the expenses for the ceremony,” she said, adding that each couple could bring eight members of their family in the reception.
De los Santos said the city government allocated P450,000 for the mass wedding including the reception, which was held at the Cebu Grand Convention Center.
According to delos Santos, yesterday’s mass wedding has been the eighth to have been sponsored by the city government. She added that about 800 couples have benefited the program.
The oldest couple Teresita Arado Dela Peña, 60 and Candelario Gonzaga, 76, were in high spirit as they finally got married yesterday.
Widowed at the age of 50, Dela Peña was happy to exchange vows for the second time around with Gonzaga, also a widower at 66.
Dela Peña has seven children with her previous partner who died due to liverosis while Gonzaga also has seven children with his previous partner who died due to heart failure.
The couple has been living together for ten years now.
“Lipay kaayo mi kay nakasal na gyod intawn mi ug tungod pod ani, makadawat na ‘mi og blessing gikan sa Ginoo,” Dela Peña said, saying they complied the necessary requirements after learning about the free wedding ceremony.
Among the requirements were birth and baptismal certificates, residence and barangay certificates, Pre-Cana seminar, permit to marry from the parish church of the place where they reside, and certificates of no marriage, among others. — (FREEMAN)