By HOMER TEODORO
PANIQUI, Tarlac- The stars were the brides and the grooms.
They came complete with a supporting cast: their children.
“There is no better way to express their love to each other but for these 66 couples to get wed on the Heart’s Day and it is the Valentine’s Day, ” Mayor Revilla of Paniqui Town in Tarlac said in his sermon as he officiated the 11th Mass Wedding sponsored by the Sanggunian Bayan Tuesday.
Vice Mayor Gin Linsao and the town councilors acted as sponsors.
Revilla said the mass weddings made it possible for couples who do not have the money for an expensive wedding ceremony and reception to have a memorable wedding.
That’s precisely the reason why twenty-six years old Maricel Vicente joined the mass wedding ceremony. She said it is very expensive nowadays to get wed in the Church. “It is ranging from 60 to 70,000 in a church wedding. It is a big savings for us if we just join in a Mass Wedding like this. The money we can save we can already buy milk for our kids, “she said she joined the other couples in a long wedding procession. She said she and his hubby have been living together for 6 years now. They have twins and they are expecting another set of twins soon.
Everybody came in their best attire. Some of the brides were in a dress, some in wedding gowns complete with a floral bouquet. Some brought their daughters and sons who acted as flower girls and ring bearers.
According to the records of the Local civil Registrar’s Office of Paniqui 36 of the couples have been living together for more than 5 years.
The brides were in different stages of marital bliss. Twenty-five year old Joy Ann Anderson was heavy with her fourth baby.
Anderson said she and her hubby have been living together for five years although her husband, 28-year old Ancheta thinks they have been together eight years.
The Local Govenment of Paniqui shoudered all the expenses for the mass wedding including the application and filling fees costing P1,000. They were also treated to lunch. They also got gifts from Mayor Rivilla and Tarlac Governor Victor Yap.
The oldest couple were Santerio Archibal, 62, and wife Normita Yabut, 58. They said that they have been living together for the past 32 years. They have three children who are all married. They have three grandchildren.
They thought all along that they were married until they found out recently that their marriage in 1980 under a Judge in Pampanga was not registered at the National Library and was not in the records at the Civil Registrar’s Office or National Statistics Office.
Archibal worked in Saudi Arabia for 10 years which prevented him from following up their marriage certificate.
The youngest couple were Alberto Barroga, 21, and Nanette Calisao, 17.