Manila Vice Mayor John Marvin C. Nieto or Yul Servo to his friends and constituents could have celebrated his 47th birthday last February 22, 2024 with a big party with his family and friends.
But the bashful Vice Mayor did not, preferring instead to observe his birth month with his constituents through his Kasalang Bayan program last February 14, 2024.
This was the biggest of Nieto’s annual free mass wedding program every month of February where 263 Manila couples formally exchanged their “I do’s” in front of a priest.
With many of the couples already living as a family with their children, even without the benefit of marriage, the Kasalang Bayan added real meaning to Valentine’s Day to most, if not all of the newly wed couples.
According to couple Ryan and Joan of Manila’s third district: “Malaki po talaga ang naitutulong nitong kasalang bayan na program ni Vice Mayor Yul para pagtibayin ang relasyon naming mag-asawa at ng mga anak namin bilang isang pamilya.” (The “Kasalang Bayan’ mass wedding program of Vice Mayor Yul really helps a lot in strengthening our relationship with my wife and children as a family.) Ryan and Joan have been living together with their children for 16 years already, without the benefit of marriage.
“Mahal kasi magpakasal ngayon at wala naman kaming pagkukunan ng pang-gastos sa kasal:” (Its expensive to get married nowadays and we have no resources to raise money for a wedding.” Ryan said, adding that “mabuti na lang sinagot ni Vice Mayor Yul ang lahat ng kailangang dokumento kasama na ang kaunting salo-salo” (It’s good that Vice Mayor Yul covered all the documentary requirements including the small wedding party.)
Indeed, a real “Lingkod Bayan” that he is, Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto cannot turn his back on his natural calling for public service that he finds time to spend with his constituents regardless of the situation and/or occasion,
The Kasalang Bayan is just one of the commitments of Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto when he filed his COC upon his decision to be a public servant during the last election. COC to Nieto has another meaning. He calls it Compassion, Obligation and commitment, not Certificate of Candidacy.
And this could be reason why Yul Servo Nieto is compassionate with his medical missions (called Araw N’yo, Serbisyo Ko), mass weddings and baptisms (Kasalang Bayan and Binyagang Bayan), feeding programs (Kusina Manileño), mass circumcision (Binyagan sa Tag-Araw: Operation Tuli), and other programs providing wellness.
Nieto also had his 4th solo Art exhibition that started last February 17, 2024. Dubbed as Directions 4, the Vice Mayor’s art show was a follow through of his earlier Directions 1, 2 and 3 solo art exhibitions. All the proceeds of his art shows were donated to charitable organizations.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #KasalangBayan #YulServo