ORMOC CITY – About 139 couples from the city officially solemnized their unions through a civil ceremony sponsored by the city government under Mayor Richard Gomez.
The mass wedding, held at the Superdome on Thursday (March 22), was part of the Women’s Month celebration of the city.
It was a happy occasion for the couples who were wed free of charge, coming from Ormoc’s 110 barangays.
All the brides came in wedding gowns with bouquets made of recycled plastic, even headdresses. The grooms, on the other hand, were either dressed in white barong or long sleeves.
The couples had Vice Mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin Jr. and the city councilors as their sponsors.
Delia Corbo, city social welfare and development officer, said that the mass wedding was part of Women’s Month celebration, with the aim of empowering women by having their unions recognized by the state, and help also their children get legal status.
Mayor Gomez also made sure that the couples’ wedding day was made memorable.
Each couple received a gift pack from him and Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez containing two hams and queso de bola. They also went home with a food pack containing rice and canned goods, and a cake and a bottle of wine each that they used during the ceremonial slicing of cake and toast.
They also had group pictures with the mayor and their sponsors.
There was also a photo booth with standees of Mayor Gomez and Rep. Torres-Gomez where the couples had their pictures taken as their souvenir.
The sponsors, on the other hand, gave the couples small tokens like rosaries to remember the day. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
