BAGUIO CITY- Marriage vows were exchanged between Forty-Two (42) couples last Thursday afternoon at the Baguio Convention Center with Mayor Mauricio Domogan as solemnizing official.

Resplendent in a red barong amidst a sea of couples wearing white, the mayor also led more than a hundred wedding sponsors, including Vice-Mayor Daniel Farinas, Councilors Peter Fianza, Edison Bilog, Elmer Datuin, Joel Alangsab, and Isabelo Cosalan, friends and relatives in witnessing the mass wedding. Other sponsors include Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Regional Director Helen Tibaldo, Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Ellen Donato, and Congressman Bernardo Vergara, as ably represented by members of his staff.

The Baguio Convention Center was well-prepared as a church for the solemnizing ceremonies and the reception afterwards. Special gifts were also presented to the couples after the ceremonies, and a serenade done by accomplished singers.

On its 17th year, the mass wedding is part of the annual family week celebration, conducted by the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the local government.

The mayor admonished the couples to be serious in their commitment, and include humor in their everyday lives. He also emphasized the importance of faith in the continuing courtship, companionship and communication between the couples. The youngest in the group is twenty years old and the oldest, about 70 years. Some have stayed together for years, having children and grandchildren, before deciding to tie the knot. Some opted to tie the knot for the second time.

Other activities of the family week celebration shall be done this December with a "Know Your Roots," ancestor-trace back, sponsored by the Church of the Latter Day Saints.