BACOLOD City Secretary to the Mayor Atty. Joseph Karol Chiu apologized to all the participants of the "You and Me sa 2023" mass wedding for the inconvenience of the postponement of the activity that was supposedly rescheduled on March 3.

The original schedule of the activity was on February 14.

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez announced the postponement of the event on February 27, stating that the working committee is still finalizing the details of the mass wedding, adding that they will be announcing the final date of the said event very soon.

After its pronouncement, some netizens also aired their frustrations on social media.

Chiu said the activity will be held this month, and this will be the largest mass wedding in the history of Bacolod City that will be officiated by the mayor.

He said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and First Lady Marie Louse Marcos are expected to attend the ceremony, and they are only waiting for the final schedule of their arrival in the city.

"We understand their plight (mass wedding participants) and we are apologizing for the inconvenience of the postponement of the activity, but what we have here is to be a part of the historic event in Bacolod City by holding the largest wedding event in the city," he added.

Chiu also expressed his gratitude for the support and cooperation of the Bacolodnons for the said activity.

City Civil Registrar Hermilo Pa-oyon said as of February 27, 2023, they had already received at least 2,053 applicants for the mass wedding.

"We already stopped accepting applicants because we surpassed the target," he said.

He added that those who will not be accommodated can also join in on the next mass wedding activity in the city.

Pa-oyon noted that it’s part of the annual celebration pursuant to President Proclamation No. 682 declaring the month of February every year as Civil Registration Month.

The ceremony will be held at the Bacolod City Government Center grounds.*