CEBU CITY – Valentine’s Day came a day early as 30 couples in Dapitan City tied the knot in a mass church wedding dubbed “Kasalan ng Bayan” on Tuesday, February 13.

COUPLES pose after a mass church wedding at the Saint James the Greater Church in Dapitan City on Tuesday, February 13. (Contributed photo)

City officials led by Dapitan Mayor Seth Frederick “Bullet” Jalosjos witnessed the couples exchange vows before Fr. Patrick Dalangin at the Saint James the Greater Church.

Jalosjos said that instead of the usual civil wedding that he officiates, the city decided to come up with a grand wedding for couples who have been longing to wed in church.

“Usually, it is only the mayor who officiates mass weddings which are less intimate. Now, we showed how important it is to get married in front of the altar. We want couples to feel how it is to have a real wedding. There were pre-nup shoots, the couples were in gowns and ‘barongs,’ there were cakes and everything,” said Jalosjos.

The church wedding was at no cost to the couples as the city government shouldered the expenses. “It only happens once in their lives so we want to give it to them,” Jalosjos added.

The couples’ children also walked down the aisle that made the wedding more special, Jalosjos said.

Allowing the children to be part of the wedding was to show the importance of the families in the community, he said. “We let their children join. Family is the most important thing, and for the government and LGU, it’s part of our Constitution to protect families first and foremost.”

Jalosjos said the Kasalan ng Bayan will continue for the years to come as the city is eyeing a bigger and grander mass church wedding next year.

“We cannot dismiss the importance of church weddings. Say our vows in front of God and the church. Solemnizing something so sacramental like marriage, it's important that the church is involved,” said Jalosjos.

Apple Marie Agolong, city tourism officer, said the free church mass wedding is just one of the social services that Dapitan is offering. It was the second mass church wedding that the city government of Dapitan sponsored.

“We are happy that we were able to bring happiness to these couples who really wanted to wed in church but couldn’t do so because of some challenges. They were helped by our mayor who is championing social services and a lot more,” said Agolong.