I DO. I DO. : PAG-IBIG TO HOLD “ARAW NG PAG-IBIG”

The Home Development Mutual Fund, more popularly known as Pag-IBIG Fund, will sponsor a mass wedding for its members on Tuesday, February 14, Valentine’s Day to be simultaneously held at the SM Mall of Asia and other SM Malls in Baguio, Naga, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

Dubbed as “I Do. I Do. Araw ng Pag-IBIG”, the event will allow lucky couples to get married or renew their wedding vows in civil ceremonies.  Vice President Jejomar C. Binay will be attending the mass wedding ceremony to be held at the Bacolod New Government Center in Bacolod City. The mass wedding which is co-sponsored by the City Government of Bacolod, will be attended by 600 couples.

Similar events will also be held in Calamba and Kidapawan, co-sponsored by the respective local government units. LGUs of the areas where the mass weddings will be held also supported the Fund’s undertaking through the speedy or free processing of the required documents.

“With this activity, Pag-IBIG hopes to help couples who wish to be married but have no monetary means to do so,” said Atty. Darlene Marie B. Berberabe, Pag-IBIG Chief Executive Officer.  “We also hope that these couples will see Pag-IBIG as its partner, an integral part of their lives as they build and provide for their own families.  After all, the first thing that newly-married couples usually think of is having their own house as they start their families.  Pag-IBIG wants the couples and their families to have a house that shelters them from the elements, and a home that nurtures them through the years.”

More than helping the couples undergo the rites of marriage, Pag-IBIG hopes to use the event to promote financial literacy and greater appreciation of the concept of savings among the newlyweds.  With membership to the Fund being a pre-requisite for at least one of the bride-and-groom pair, the member already enjoys the benefits of Pag-IBIG membership, which include savings and access to its short-term and housing loan programs.

“The event is one way for us to reach out to our members, helping them maximize their membership by informing them of the benefits of being a Pag-IBIG member,” Atty. Berberabe added.  “The event is unlike the usual mass wedding where the celebration ends after the exchange of ‘I Dos’ between the couples.  Pag-IBIG’s kasalan not just enables couples to legally bind their union but it also paves the way for the newlyweds to start a financially-solid future for them and their family.  Pag-IBIG stands witness as the couples celebrate their love for each other on their special day.”

To add to the festive atmosphere, participating couples will be eligible to win exciting raffle prizes.  A grand prize of one house and lot package from the Pag-IBIG Fund’s pool of acquired assets valued at around P400,000  will be awarded to a pair among the participating couples nationwide.  Home appliances will also be raffled off.

Membership to Pag-IBIG Fund has become mandatory to all Filipino workers, in the country and overseas, land-based or sea-based.  The Fund opened its doors even to income-earners from the informal sector, enabling those earning at least P1,000 monthly to savor the advantages of being a Pag-IBIG member.  By reaching out to its members through events like the Araw ng Pag-IBIG, the Fund actively participates in nation-building as it increases its members’ awareness and capacity to save for their current and future needs.