FEBRUARY, according to many, is the month of love, and the month to celebrate marriage.

In order to bond the relationship of long time couples, Baguio City Councilor Elmer Datuin is encouraging them to get married.

Datuin said he would like to promote a better relationship for couples through marriage.

"We try to promote good relationship between husband and wife," Datuin said.

Under the Family Code of the Philippines, marriage is a special contract of a permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life.

It is also the foundation of the family and an inviolable social institution whose nature, consequences, and incidents are governed by law and not subject to stipulation.

"If there is an opportunity to legalize their relationship, and have long time partnership, my advice for them is to be married before the eyes of God and before the law," Datuin said.

Baguio City Civil Registry Office, nearly half of the total registered births in 2016 from parents who were not married.

"Once married, to keep the relationship forever and maintain the relationship as husband and wife, they should love each other because a loving couple will produce a loving children, a loving family, a loving community and a loving and good country," Datuin added.

Earlier, Datuin proposed an ordinance "Declaring February 7 to February 14 of every year as Marriage Week in the City of Baguio."