127 Guimaras couples tie the knot in free civil mass weddings

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More than 100 couples exchanged “I Dos” during free civil mass weddings in various municipalities of Guimaras in February 2023 as one of the highlights of the 33rd Civil Registration Month activities.

The couples formalized their union in Buenavista (43), Jordan (26), Nueva Valencia (36), Sibunag (15), and San Lorenzo (7) couples.

“The Free civil mass wedding in Buenavista was done on February 7, 2023, followed by the municipality of Jordan, which successfully held its free mass wedding on Valentine’s Day,” Provincial Statistical Officer Nelida B. Losare said.

“Nueva Valencia and San Lorenzo held their free civil mass weddings on February 17, and Sibunag was done on February 20, 2023,” Losare added.

Of the 127 couples who inked marriage certificates in a mass wedding, the oldest was aged 67 and 68 years old, while the youngest couple was aged 18 and 20 years old.

Interestingly, two couples believe that age doesn’t matter, with a 15-year and 19-year gap between husband and wife: the first couple married a 37-year-old husband with an 18-year-old wife, and the second couple, a 33-year-old husband tied the knot with an 18-year-old wife.

Losare also cited the mass weddings in each municipality officiated by their respective mayors – Samuel T. Gumarin of Buenavista, Cresente P. Chaves, Jr. of Jordan, Paul Vincent G. De la Cruz of Nueva Valencia, Ninfa G. Gajo of San Lorenzo, and Annabelle V. Samaniego of Sibunag.

“Vice Mayor and Sangguniang Bayan Members of the respective town also witnessed the union of the couples per municipality,” Losare said.

Losare of PSA-Guimaras supported the nuptials of Jordan Municipality. Likewise, she graced the wedding in Buenavista along with Statistical Specialist (SS) II of PSA Region VI, Jen Lito Esapol.

“Esapol also upheld the knot-tying in Nueva Valencia Municipality together with the Supervising Statistical Specialist (SSS), Vicente G. Geonanga,” Losare said.

Losare also supported the matrimony of the 15 couples in Sibunag Municipality, together with the Administrative Officer IV of PSA Region VI, Danny S. Leonor. The wedding in San Lorenzo, however, was attended by the Assistant Statistician of PSA Guimaras, Mary Joy G. Villegas.

Losare congratulated and gave her best wishes to the newly wedded couples and gave pieces of advice.

“If ever there are some among you who would like to have a church wedding to receive the sacrament of matrimony, the date of your civil wedding will prevail,” Losare stated.

The officiating officials also advised all couples about the significance of marriage, the importance of open communication, keeping trust and confidence, sharing decisions, and responsibility towards their children and their family.

The municipal governments sponsored the CENOMAR, marriage license application, venue, cake, wine, and rings.

Losare also expounded that the annual free civil mass weddings of the LGUs are the best solution to address the problem of illegitimate children whose legitimacy status will change through the subsequent marriage of parents.

Losare also expounded that the annual free civil mass weddings of the LGUs are the best solution to address the problem of illegitimate children whose legitimacy status will change through the subsequent marriage of parents.

“By responding to the call of your Local Officials to be part of the civil mass wedding facilitated by the Local Civil Registry Officers, you contributed a lot to the government in achieving the Civil Registry and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade goal that by 2024 no one should be left behind unregistered,” Losare said

Losare further explained that the late Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III pledged to support the CRVS decade goal during Asia and Pacific Ministerial Conference on CRVS held in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 2014, declaring 2015-2014 as the CRVS decade with an end goal of zeroing out unregistered births.

“To achieve the CRVS decade goal, the PSA implemented the PhilSys Birth Registration Assistance Project (PBRAP) to help the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and the poorest of the poor sector to register free of charge,” Losare said.

For Guimaras, the Local Civil Registry Offices of the five Municipalities and the PSA Guimaras Provincial Statistical Office are implementing the Barangay Civil Registry System Data Banking, wherein with the help of the Barangay Officials (Secretaries and Barangay Health Workers) who gathered data from the field, each LCRO implemented strategies gear towards building up a databank.

“The result of the BCRS data banking will guide the LCROs in determining which Barangays need for a mobile registration and mass wedding to ensure that the CRVS decade goal is achievable by 2024,” Losare said.