Vice President Jejomar Binay, the principal sponsor in the biggest mass wedding of the country this year that was held in Bacolod City yesterday, urged the couples to work at making their marriage successful.

Binay said this is the first time he had witness such a great number of couples joining the mass wedding since he was mayor of Makati City.

Other sponsors were Leonardia, Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and the city councilors.

The Pag-Ibig Fund sponsored the mass wedding in Bacolod City dubbed “I do,I do, Arraw ng Pag-Ibig” as well as in other parts of the country.

Mass weddings were also held in Silay City and E.B. Magalona as the world celebrated Valentine’s Day (stories on page 16).

Binay, chairman of Pag-Ibig Fund Board of Trustees, said “Marriage requires courage and today you have proven that you were able to muster enough courage to be part of the mass wedding.”

He said marriage is not a bed of roses since there will be bad times and good times.

Binay advised the couples that if they have misunderstandings, they should not go to sleep without resolving it. He also advised the husbands to respect their wives and that couples have to understand the character of their partners, he said.

“There is no such thing as a perfect marriage so we, your godparents, wish you all a successful marriage,” he added.

Binay said he had to fly back to Manila to attend a reception for another mass wedding at the SM Mall of Asia after the affair in Bacolod. He arrived in the city yesterday with his daughters Anne and Nancy.

Leonardia said Binay was invited to several mass weddings in the country yesterday but he chose to come to Bacolod.

The couples cheered when the mayor announced that Binay brought a truckload of gifts for them. When Leonardia asked them what else it was they needed, they all shouted a “house and lot” which was going to be given away by Pag-Ibig Fund as its grand prize.

After the ceremony, Binay gave away P1,000 in cash to 10 lucky couples.

The newlyweds also received gifts from the city and other sponsors.

Leonardia thanked the Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry for providing the fireworks. He also thanked God for the good weather that allowed the newly-weds to have a romantic reception by the fountain area of the government center until sundown.

Leonardia said the Pag-Ibig Fund sponsored the reception of the 600 newly wedded couples, while that of the 155 couples was sponsored by businessman Ricardo Yanson.

The oldest couple were Feliciano Malunes, 73, and Estelita Setias, 62, of Brgy. Pahanocoy, Bacolod City.

Also present were Murcia Mayor Andrew Montelibano, Councilors El Cid Familiaran, Al Victor Espino, Em Ang, Caesar Distrito, Roberto Rojas, Sonya Verdeflor, Mona Dia Jardin, Catalino Alisbo and Archie Baribar, former Bacolod Rep. John Orola, BACIWA director Greg Gasataya, Pag-Ibig Fund officials led by regional director Vicky de la Peña and Bacolod branch manager Lourdes Uy, representatives from SM City, and several barangay captains.*CGS

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