Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers, no matter what their marital status might be.
And for unmarried couples of Biñan City, Laguna, Valentine’s Day is also the perfect opportunity to legalize their marriage.
That was the opportunity given by the local government as it held its annual “Kasalang Bayan” last Wednesday, February 14 at the Alonte Sports Arena.
A total of 100 couples from different barangays – two of them consisting of persons with disabilities (PWDs) – were given the opportunity to cement their love for each other and uphold their vows to cherish each other for the rest of their lives.
Ngayong araw na ito ay napaka-espesyal para sa inyo, dahil tatapusin ninyo ang stage na nagliligawan kayo, o nagsasama na kayo pero hindi pa kayo kasal. Magle-level up na kayo ngayong araw na ito, dahil simula ngayong araw na ito, officially, mag-asawa na po kayo," Mayor Dimaguila, who officiated the event, said in his speech.
Recipe for a happy marriage
In his speech, Dimaguila shared that before he began to officiate weddings as city mayor in 2019, he found himself handling annulment cases as a lawyer for ten years.
That experience, he said, helped him understand why marriages ended in break-ups, and what constitute the ideal recipe for a happy marriage.
"Batay po sa naging experience ko, 50 percent ng mga annulment cases na hinawakan ko, dahil sa mga lalake, 30 percent ay dahil sa biyenan [in-laws], at 20 percent ay yung babae ang dahilan," he recounted.
Dimaguila added that one of the important points for a happy marriage is compromise and understanding between couples, especially in their older years.
“Kapag dumating ang panahon na hindi na kasing-ganda ang inyong mga kabiyak gaya ng dati, dahil na rin sa nagpapalaki na kayo ng pamilya, tumingin kayo hindi lamang gamit ang inyong mga mata kundi pati na rin ang inyong mga puso, at tiyak na masasabi pa rin ninyo na napakaganda pa rin ng aking asawa,” the mayor advised.
Vice-Mayor Gel Alonte, who served as "godfather" to the newlyweds, also emphasized the importance of respect, love and trust in order to build the solid blocks of marriage.
"Lagi po ninyong tatandaan ang mga letrang "R-P-T" sa buhay mag-asawa ninyo: Respeto, Pagmamahal, Tiwala,” Alonte advised to the newlyweds.
Aside from the free services offered such as wedding cakes and photoshoots, the newlyweds also received gifts from the members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod who were present during the event.
Regular event
According to the LGU, the “Kasalang Bayan” is a regular event, usually held three to four times each year, that aims to give Biñanense couples the opportunity to have their marriages legitimized.
Couples who are interested to participate in the “Kasalang Bayan” need only to submit the necessary documents such as birth certificates of the two partners; valid IDs; a Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR); birth certificate of their oldest child (if applicable); and a certificate of cohabitation for couples living together for more than five years.
For the next schedule of the Kasalang Bayan, couples are encouraged to follow the social media pages of the Biñan City Civil Registrar Office as well as that of the LGU (Serbisyong Arman and the City Information Office).