IF THERE is a date that would be best to tie a knot with your loved one, it would be February 14th when the world celebrates Valentine's Day.
Last Thursday, February 14, 2019, a hundred couples exchanged their "I do's" in Pag-IBIG Fund Southern Mindanao's "I DO. I DO! Araw ng Pag-IBIG" mass wedding at The Ritz Hotel @ Garden Oases, Porras St., Davao City.
The event, which aims to help couples who have been living together for years to finally legalize their union, was solemnized by Judge Emmanuel C. Carpio of RTC Branch 16.
It also promotes financial literacy and appreciation of the concept of savings among newlyweds.
For eight straight years sponsoring a mass wedding for its member-couples nationwide, the Fund was able to wed over 21,000 couples from 2012 to 2019. A total of 1,239 couples were from the city.
The oldest couple who tied the knot during the event was 54 and 47 years old. There were 38 couples from Davao Central, 24 from Davao South, 23 from Davao North, six couples from Tagum City, seven from Digos City and two couples from Panabo City.
The "I Do. I Do" event has won several awards including the Bronze award by the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines for Advocacy Communications in 2014, for promoting the values of reverence for the family unit or marriage and responsible parenthood.
Some of the venues of the simultaneous nationwide wedding ceremonies are in Southern, Northern and Western Visayas, Southern Mindanao, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon I, Central Luzon II, Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao, South Western Mindanao and Western Mindanao.