SIXTY couples exchanged their “I dos” in a mass wedding hosted by the Municipal Government of Tabogon in northern Cebu on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2023.
The Municipal Government, headed by Mayor Francis Edward Salimbangon, allocated a budget of around P200,000 for the Kasalan ng Bayan 2023.
Tabogon has been hosting the Kasalan ng Bayan every February for 17 years already.
This year's celebration was especially grand, with 60 couples aged 21 to 65 joining the ceremony. All are residents of the town.
Jenmark Oriendo Sala, 24, and Jessa Mae Cataquez Brufal, 21, decided to get married this year to celebrate their sixth-year relationship.
"We were planning to set aside funds for our wedding, but the mayor proposed free weddings for everyone, so we agreed to tie the knot this year," said Brufal.
Salimbangon thanked his constituents for their help in making the celebration successful.
"I always want the people of Tabogon to have the best. We decided to create a beach wedding at one of our areas to give it an exceptional feel and make the ceremony unforgettable. This will give them something to reminisce with and boast about to their families about how beautiful their wedding was," he said in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Thursday, February 16, 2023.
The couples were serenaded by Mary Kheem Cabagte, a two-time defending champion of “Tawag ng Tanghalan” Season 6, during the ceremony on Tuesday, February 14.
Several employees of the Municipal Government, including those from the Mayor's Office, Tourism Office, and Civil Registry, also lent their assistance to ensure the success of the Kasalan ng Bayan 2023. (STC intern Mary Francis Lynn Caayon)