Eleven pairs of persons with disabilities (PWDs) got married in the first-ever “Kasalang Bayan para sa Persons with Disabilities” on Sept. 21 that was organized by the Taguig City government.

The wedding ceremony was held at the Lakeshore Hall in Barangay Lower Bicutan, Taguig City and was officiated by Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano.

“Patunay ito na ang Taguig ay isang loving, caring at inclusive community na kumakalinga sa bawat mamamayan na hindi tinitingnan ang katayuan sa buhay. Kinikilala ng lokal na pamahalaan ang ating mga Persons with Disability bilang importanteng parte ng yamang tao ng lungsod (This proves that Taguig is a loving, caring and inclusive community that cares for every citizen and does not look at the status in life. The local government recognizes our Persons with Disability as an important part of human resources of the city),” said Cayetano.

She added, “Congratulations! Mabuhay ang mga bagong kasal! Biyayaan nawa kayo ng DIYOS ng mas marami pang taon ng pagsasama (Congratulations! Long live the newly-weds! May the Lord bless you with many more years of living together).”

The wedding ceremony had the theme “Sa Lungsod ng Taguig, Kasalang Bayan para sa mga Taong may Kapansanan, PWeDe!”

“More than sending the message that marrying for love is possible or ‘pwede’ for our citizens with disabilities, we want to assure Taguigueno PWDs that they can enjoy the same rights as everybody else and that includes the right to establish a happy family and a loving home, and so much more,” the mayor added.

The mass wedding was organized by Taguig’s Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) in coordination with the Civil Registry Office.

The opportunity was provided to Taguigueño couples, at least one of whom is a PWD. In nine couples, one has a disability. In the other three couples, both members are registered PWDs.

One pair was Danilo Aquino, 46, who has an orthopedic disability, and Mirasol Igna, 30.

“Hindi lang ito kasal naming mag-asawa. Ito rin ay para sa aming mga anak (This is not only a marriage for us. This is also for our children,” said Aquino, who resides in Barangay Sta. Ana.

Antonio Feliciano, 28, who is living with speech disability, married Jovelyn Binalla, 25, from Barangay Bagumbayan in Taguig.

“Hiling talaga naming maikasal kaya salamat sa Taguig dahil kinasal kami nang libre at walang bayad (Our wish was to get married so thank to Taguig because we got married for free and with no payment), the couple said.

All the couples have lived together without the benefit of marriage for at least five years.

The oldest PWD to get married in the ceremony was Jonathan Pacheco, 51 and living with an orthopedic disability. He married Eva Lunas, with whom he had been living for 25 years, the longest among all the couples.

“Mayroon na kaming anim na anak. Matagal na naming pinapangarap na ikasal pero dahil sa kakulangan sa pera, hindi namin magawa. Laking pasasalamat namin sa pamahalaan ng Taguig, lalo na kay Mayor Lani, sa oportunidad na maikasal kaming may kapansanan kahit kami ay matanda na (We have six children. We had long dreamed of getting married but due to financial difficulty, we could not do it. A big thank you to the Taguig government, especially to Mayor Lani, for the opportunity for us to marry those with disability despite us being old),” said Pacheco.

The Taguig city government sponsored the rings, arrhae, wine, cake, and venue to provide the couples a ceremony at no expense to them.

PWD organizations in Taguig enjoy monthly allowances ranging from P500 to P3,000. All registered PWDs also receive a birthday cash gift of P1,000.

The city government said it conducts medical and dental missions and livelihood training directly helping PWDs. Job opportunities are opened at job fairs, with the local government unit doing its share of hiring PWDs.