Binay to witness mass wedding

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

VICE President Jejomar Binay will be the principal sponsor of a mass wedding, which will be administered by Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia in Bacolod City Tuesday.

The mass wedding is sponsored by Pag-Ibig Fund for many couples all over the Philippines, including Bacolod City.

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“The Pag-Ibig has confirmed to us that, in the whole Philippines, we have the biggest number of couples at 750,” Leonardia said.

He said Binay will arrive in the city on Tuesday.

“His (Binay) daughter Anne said he had previous engagements in Manila and outside Manila. But since Binay saw the significance of the occasion, which involved a total of 1,500 people (or 750 couples), he decided to come here,” the mayor said.

“I am very happy and honored that in the whole Philippines, VP Binay decided to be with us in this very special day when he could have been somewhere else. Anne is coming with him. We will make history tomorrow and for sure this is something we will long remember,” he said.

“We believe in marriage as an institution. Society must be founded with strong families and the start of the family will be the wedding of the husband and wife who will serve as the anchor of our institution. So we believe that if we have strong families, we will also have a strong city,” he added.

The mayor also said this is the only time that the couples will be treated with a wedding reception at the Bacolod City Government Center grounds.

Pag-Ibig will finance the dinner of 600 couples while the 150 will be financed by businessman Ricardo Yanson.

Wilmer Lirazan, Pag-Ibig branch manager for operations, said they want February 14 to be a Pag-Ibig Fund Day so they are calling their project “I Do, I Do Araw ng Pag-Ibig.”

“Pag-Ibig Fund is not just savings generation but also provides shelter. Through Pag-Ibig Fund membership, by joining the savings program of Pag-Ibig, they can put up their own house. We encourage couples joining the mass wedding to have at least one of their partners as member of Pag-Ibig Fund to qualify for the grand prize of a house and lot worth P400,000, Lizaran said.

They have to pay only P100 for one month to become a member of Pag-Ibig so that their reception, bouquet, give-aways, tokens, cake, door prizes will be shouldered by Pag-Ibig, he added.

Lizaran also said they also have a Valentine’s Day activity at the Event Centre of SM City at 12 p.m. Tuesday.

The first 100 coupes will avail themselves of free photo-ops and make-up.

There will be a program prepared for them and a vehicle will be provided to ferry them to the government center before the 4 p.m. mass wedding.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Joseph Bayan, Bacolod Police deputy for Administration, said they have security plans in place for the visit of Binay.

Bayan said they will deploy 120 police personnel to secure the government center grounds, as well as traffic enforcers to direct traffic in the area. (CNC)