ALAMINOS CITY—At sunset and with the majestic Hundred Islands in the background as mute witness, a total of 158 couples passionately and unabashedly kissed each other just after being proclaimed husbands and wives.

The occasion officiated by City Mayor Hernani Braganza was a mass civil wedding held at Lucap, the jump off point to the Hundred Islands, which is a tradition here every Valentine’s Day since four years ago.

All in white, with the grooms wearing Barong Tagalog and the brides in gown, the activity was the centerpiece of a city government program called “Hundred Kisses for the Hundred Islands” tailor-made for Valentine’s Day.

The oldest of the grooms this time was 81 years old who took a bride of 64 years. The youngest couple married both aged 18 had just reached their legal age set forth under the Philippine Family Code.

Their godparents were all members of the city council headed by Vice Mayor Teofilo Humilde Jr., including City Administrator Wilmer Panabang and the city’s 39 barangay chairmen.

“Apart from promoting the Hundred Islands, the mass civil wedding was part of our service to our constituents, especially those belonging to the poorer sector of the society who had no money to formalize their relationship,” said Braganza.

Braganza explained that the mass civil wedding is the city government’s continuing contribution to strengthen family ties as wedding legitimizes the union of couples who are not yet married.

“As we all know, the family is the foundation of the Philippine society, that is why it is better that the families here must maintain their good ties to set a good example for their children and children’s children,” he said.

Marriage, said Braganza, gives legal protection to the offspring as he or she is required to submit birth certificate when enrolling in school or later on applies for passport for a change to go and work abroad.

Asked how they found or picked those who would join the wedding, Braganza said it was City Civil Registrar Reynaldo Castro and his staff who searched for couples who had been living together without the benefit of marriage.

He said many of those living together wanted as much as possible to hide their union till the woman is heavy with a child.
The others, he added, had been living together for many years and have children of their own.

Castro and his staff doggedly pursued the couples till they agreed to join the civil wedding which was offered to them for free.

Aside from this, they were also exempted from paying the application fee for their respective marriage licenses.

The wedding cakes, red wine, food, buntings, decorations and all sorts were provided by the city government and some by the godparents.

A famous local rock band serenaded the newly weds with love songs courtesy of the city government.

Braganza believes the mass civil wedding will continue for some more years because the civil registry office estimated that there are still from 1,500 to 2,000 such couples in Alaminos that have not legitimized their union.