Wedding goes on despite typhoon Yolanda’s onslaught

Not even typhoon Yolanda’s fury can stop the wedding of a police officer and a teacher in Mandaue City yesterday morning.

Only one of the 10 sponsors made it to the wedding of PO2 Ronald Manlangit and Myrna Bacarisas, who were forced to replace a maid of honor at the last minute.

Their maid of honor was stranded somewhere in the Camotes group of islands.

Over 100 guests witnessed the couple exchange vows at the St. Joseph Shrine at 10 a.m., the time when “Yolanda” registered its strongest winds and rains in northern Cebu.

Bacarisas and Manlangit, both 28 years old, admitted they felt nervous about the strong typhoon but maintained their poise and managed to smile. They’ve planned their wedding a year before.

Yesterday was the eighth day of the month, a lucky number for Manlangit.

For their guests’ safety, the couple shouldered the expenses for their stay at a hotel in Mandaue.

The two had a relationship for one year and four months before tying the knot. They were schoolmates at Sinsin Elementary School.

Myrna’s mother was against the relationship since she suspected Ronald, who has a five-year-old daughter, of being married.

To appease her, Ronald had to show a document from the National Statistics Office (NSO) certifying that he was still single.

That convinced Myrna’s mother who then gave her blessing.

The guests shared the wedding feast in barangay Pagsabungan, Mandaue City.

Elsewhere in Mandaue City, 3,525 families or 10,260 persons were transferred to evacuation centers before typhoon Yolanda hit yesterday morning.

The roof of the Umapad Elementary School was blown off forcing evacuees there to transfer to Opao Elementary School onboard 10-wheeler trucks of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

City Administrator James Abadia said they had to force some residents who refused to leave their houses.