Love and marriage amid this challenging COVID-19 time

April Ann Igot, happily shows her engagement ring after she accepted the wedding proposal of his longtime boyfriend Ranodo Repolido Jr. at her house in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City during her birthday on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. | Contributed photo

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Despite this challenging and uncertain times of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) crisis, a 27-year-old hotel worker sees promise in the future as he boldly and happily proposed to his longtime girlfriend on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

“(Nearly) Eight years na mi, and decided na gyud ko to marry her. Mao nga bisan og lisud ron ang panahon pero dili kini makababag sa akong pagpakigminyo unya niya,” Ranodo Repolido Jr., 25, of Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City told CDN Digital in a phone interview.

Repolido, who works in a popular resort in Lapu-Lapu City, proposed to her longtime girlfriend, April Ann Rose Igot, 27,  in her residence in Sitio Datag, Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City.

It was a double celebration for the soon-to-be married couple as Repolido timed his wedding proposal to Igot, who is a teacher, on her 27th birthday. whom a surprised Igot happily accepted his offer of marriage to her.

Repolido asked Igot’s family and friends to help him in making his wedding proposal a memorable one.

There were only a handful of relative and close friends who attended the celebration due to the COVID-19 situation with the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the city.

But it was a success with Repolido and Igot getting engaged on her birthday.

When the Igot came out from her room, she was met by Repolido, who immediately fell on bended knee and asked her hand in marriage while her siblings, friends and relatives cheered him on.

And it was also at this time, that the printed papers held by friends saying “Will you marry me?” was brought out. And they all cheered when she answered yes to the proposal.

“I was really surprised nga iya ni himoon kay lisud baya ron ang panahon tungod aning naa ta sa ECQ. Nagtuo ko nga simple celebration lang sa akong birthday,” said Igot.

(I was really surprised that he did this at this challenging time because of the ECQ. I thought that it was just a simple celebration for my birthday.)

Repolido and Igot said they still did not have a definite date for the wedding since they had yet to start processing the papers for their marriage.

Igot, who is a teachers at the Maribago Elementary School, met Repolido more or less seven years ago when they both were asked by Maribago Barangay Councilor Arvin Abing to be the choreographers of Maribago’s Rampada Street Dancing team.

Since then, they had dated leading to this special day for the soon-to-be married couple./dbs