366 COUPLES WED IN LIBRENG KASAL 2014

After nine years of living together, Rey and Lenny finally decided to tie the knot. They were officially wed during the Kasalang Bayan 2014 of the City Government of Santa Rosa held on February 14, 2014 at the Enchanting Events Place, Enchanted Kingdom in the City of Santa Rosa.

Now called Mrs. Roa, Lenny said they decided to get married for the sake of their children. They have a seven-year-old daughter and she is six months pregnant on their second child.

They learned of the program on Libreng Kasal through the Barangay and she said that they are happy to be part of it. “Thank you sa ganitong programa ng pamahalaan. Huwag sana sila magsasawa na isagawa ang libreng kasal para sa mga tulad namin na nagnanais magpakasal,” she said.

Rey and Lenny’s wedding was solemnized by City Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas.

Marriage Rs and Cs

Before solemnizing the marriage, Mayor Arcillas shared with the 366 pairs the 4Rs of marriage: Romance, Responsibility, Respect and Remittance.

“How you treated and cared for yourself and for each other before you went in today’s ceremony is how you should be or you ought to be even more caring after this wedding,” said Mayor Arcillas.

“I trust that all of you here will promise that you will look out after each other and will make sure that the romance will burn up to the very end,” added Mayor Arcillas referring to the first R which is Romance.

She also reminded the pairs that the wedding is accompanied with a second R which is Responsibility. “I believe that you are well aware of the responsibilities that go together with being united as husband and wife. For that, I expect that you are able and willing to act according to those responsibilities,” said Mayor Arcillas.

The Mayor recited a Bible verse about marriage. She said, “’A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' For this reason, the couple is the one responsible for their marriage and for providing for their family. The parents and the godparents will only be there for support.”

The third R that must always be present in the relationship, according to the Mayor, is Respect. “Respect for each other must never wane. If you respect one another, you will not hurt your partner in life physically, verbally, emotionally and psychologically,” advised Mayor Arcillas.

Lastly, the fourth R of marriage is remittance. “The couple should be willing to remit, to give and to surrender to one another,” she said. The Mayor added that once there is remittance, there will also be acceptance and commitment.

The Mayor said that above all the four Rs she mentioned, the basic condition to a lasting marriage is love. “Ang pag-ibig ay buhay at may buhay kaya kinakailangan itong arugain at ingatan para manatiling buhay habangbuhay,” said Mayor Arcillas.

Meanwhile Vice Mayor Arnel DC Gomez imparted the three Cs which is very important in any marriage. These are Commitment, Compromise and Christ-Centeredness.  He even joked that the couples should not regret getting married. “If by any chance you regret or magsisi in Filipino, ang dapat ninyong gawin ay mag-C-C-C,” said the Vice Mayor referring to the three Cs he mentioned.

The newlyweds were also encouraged to have their unions solemnized in the religion they belong to. “Ito pong ginawa natin ay Civil Marriage ngunit ‘di po kayo pinipigilan bagkus ay hinihimok po namin kayo na magpakasal o magpa-basbas sa relihiyon na inyong kinabibilangan,” explained Mayor Arcilas.

Also present during the Libreng Kasal were Hon. Dan Fernandez, Representative from the First District of Laguna; Vincent Nery, representative from Pag-IBIG Fund; Magdalena Serqueña, Provincial Statistics Officer;  Rosalinda Bautista, Regional Director of National Statistics Office Region IV-A; and Lourdes Hufana, Director III of NSO Civil Registration Department. Barangay Chairpersons also graced the event.

Civil Registration Month

The mass wedding is part of the City Government’s observance of the Civil Registration Month this February. It is pursuant to President Corazon Aquino’s Proclamation No. 682 issued on January 28, 1991 declaring the month of February of each year as Civil Registration Month.  The theme for this year is “Ikaw at Ako Tungo sa Wastong Pagrerehistro.”

In observance of the said event, all Civil Registrars were encouraged by the National Statistics Office to undertake activities such as mass wedding, free issuance of certifications, display of streamers and mobile registration.

According to Par, civil registration is very essential. “From birth to marriage to death, we need to be registered. Not only do we need these documents, but it also serves as basis for the programs of the government such as in health and education,” she said.

She also said that getting married gives way for couples to avail of more privileges as they are now officially called husband and wife. One example Par gave is that the couples can now apply as members of the Pag-IBIG Fund, then later on they can avail of loans such as housing, multi-purpose and calamity. The Libreng Kasal was done in coordination with the Pag-IBIG fund.

For the year 2013, the Office of the City Civil Registrar was able to register a total of 8,681 births, 1,890 marriages, 1,516 deaths and 1,365 marriage licenses issued.