Love in the time of the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) proves to be extra tough but 12 couples who were former combatants of the New People's Army (NPA) tied the knot in a mass wedding inside a military camp in Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur on Friday, Sept. 18.
The newlyweds belonged to the now-defunct guerilla fronts "Kara" and "Kalaw" of the Main Regional Guerilla Unit (MRGU) of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC) who surrendered to the Philippine Army' 53rd Infantry Battalion (53IB).
In a statement Saturday night, Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera, commanding officer of the 53IB, said they decided to sponsor the weddings of the 12 couples to erase the stigma against rebel-surrenderees and make them feel that they are still accepted in the community.
"Not only do we assist them in processing their benefits under various government programs and initiatives but we also show them that they are truly accepted in the society," Herrera stated.
The joint wedding ceremonies were deemed symbolic by the military since they were held right inside the 53IB headquarters at Camp Sabido.
Guipos Mayor Vicente Cajeta, who is also the chairperson of the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC), presided over the mass wedding.
Photos provided by the military to the media showed that the couples had no face masks and shields but the 53IB assured that quarantine protocols were observed during the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Gene Ponio, commander of the 1st Infantry Division (1ID), encouraged the newlyweds to be responsible parents to their children.
"What's more important than preparation is your relationship with one another. Problems just come and go, you can overcome everything if you support each other," Ponio said as he addressed the newlyweds.
Aside from the free wedding ceremony, the couples were also beneficiaries of the national government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which seeks to help surrendered rebels lead new lives by providing them with financial, livelihood, educational, and other forms of assistance.