Rosalio Sumayang and his wife Bernabette Aligado-Sumayang (center front row) join 149 other couples in saying “I do” in Cordova town. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MEDOZA)
Despite living together for 34 years, both Rosalio Sumayang and his common-law partner Bernadette were still emotional after exchanging vows with 149 other couples during yesterday’s mass wedding in Cordova town.
“Duna man gu’y panultihon nga sala ang mag-ipon nga wala makasal mao na nga bahalag edaran na, bahalag uwahi, maayo gyod nga dunay pagtugot sa Ginoo (We believe that it is a sin in God’s eyes to be living together without His blessing. That’s why we still pursued the wedding even if it came too late and even if we’re already too old),” Rosalio said.
He said financial constraints prevented them from having a church wedding.
Rosalio works as a welder in a local metalcraft company in Mandaue City and lives with Bernadette in Barangay Alegria, Cordova town.
“Okay ra man pod bisan og wala mi anak. Ang importante, kuyog mi ug magkasinabot mi sa usa’g-usa (It’s fine that we do not have a child. What
matters to me is that we are together and we understand each other),” Bernadette said.
Yesterday’s mass wedding in Cordova town held on Valentine’s Day was sponsored by the Pag-ibig Fund in partnership with the Cordova municipal government.
The mass wedding dubbed as “I Do, I Do: Araw ng Pag-ibig” paid for the wedding of the couples.
The couples sealed their vows by placing a padlock on the fence of the famed 10,000 Roses Cafe where the ceremony was held.
The oldest among the couples were 60-year-old Nasser Tamboyong and 38-year-old Jaymar Ragor.
Despite the age gap, the couple said they are happy with each other and their nine-year-old son.
Victoria dela Peña, Pag-Ibig’s vice president for member service, said this year marks the seventh time that Pag-Ibig sponsored a mass wedding.
Dela Peña said more than 2,200 couples are scheduled to tie the knot around the country with 700 of them from the Visayas and Mindanao area.
“Davao, General Santos and Zamboanga also conducted their mass weddings today, while here in the Visayas, Antique, Iloilo and Cebu are also having simultaneous mass wedding ceremonies,” dela Peña said.
A raffle draw which included a P30,000 Pangkabuhayan (livelihood) package, was also held after the wedding ceremony.