DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 8 Jan) – This city, in partnership with the Home Development Mutual Fund (or Pag-IBIG Fund), is targetting to hold one big mass wedding event, hopefully involving 1,000 couples, during Valentine’s Day.
After having unofficially broken a world record on New Year’s Eve with the most number of torotots (party blowers) blown in one location, this city originally wanted to set another record with the mass wedding, but organizers said they are no longer pushing through with the plan to maintain the solemnity of the event.
The February 14 mass wedding, dubbed “I do, I do, Araw ng Pag-IBIG,” will be held at the People’s Park.
Other cities in the country are expected to hold a similar event on Valentine’s Day.
Julie Ann Deocariza, Pag-IBIG marketing specialist, said during the weekly Club 888 media forum at The Marco Polo that the event aims to gather 1,000 couples from all over the region in a mass wedding complete with the ambiance of a garden wedding.
Deocariza said that other events include raffle prizes and gifts, with the city hosting the venue and the couples’ first meal as husband and wife.
She said that they have yet to confirm the attendance of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Janice Cedeno, also a representative from Pag-IBIG, said that they have coordinated with local government units across the Philippines, with the Pag-IBIG Davao South helming the local event here.
Last November, Yemen attempted to set a new world record with 4,000 couples being wed simultaneously, albeit in separate locations because of local custom.
On New Year’s Eve, 7,568 Davaoeños blew their torotots, surpassing the previous record of 6,900 blowers set by Japan. But the Davao feat is yet to be validated by the Guinness World Records.