THE greatest love stories most often than not culminate in a happily ever after scene where a beautiful bride and her dashing groom face the sunset, ready to face their new life together. 

Rose, not her real name, a detainee at  Sta. Rosa City Jail, Laguna was temporarily allowed not to wear the facility’s regulation shirt as she together with 10 other inmates were wed in a civil ceremony inside the jail facility.

“Getting married has been our dream. And now, we are finally husband and wife. I am thankful to the city government, especially Mayor [Arlene] Arcillas, for letting us get married. My husband and I are really happy and grateful for this special day,” she said.

In partnership with the City Civil Registry Office and the City Government of Santa Rosa, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology organized a mass wedding for the PDLs.

Arcillas, who officiated the ceremony, said the civil ceremony is not only a union between two people to become partners for life. Most importantly, it marks a new beginning for their families and children. 

Arcillas added: “We wanted to make this wedding even more memorable for the couples. That is why we are providing whatever assistance we can, including the beautiful gowns, the flowers, and the rings. They were so beautiful and handsome because, of course, this is a special day for them.”

With a little more than a year to prepare, jail warden Chief Inspector Jay Tee Tancangco shared that the PDLs were more than happy to go through the process of solemnizing their union, from applying for their Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR), birth certificate, and other documents. 

“Many of the PDLs under our care are not legally married to their partners. So we came up with this program and coordinated with the city government to help fund the mass wedding. Mayor Arcillas has been very generous in going all out for our PDLs, even preparing the rings, gowns, and the reception for them,” Tancangco said.

To make the wedding extra special, the BJMP staged a ‘surprise engagement ceremony’ where the grooms went down on their knees to ask for their partner’s hand in marriage last January 22. 

“We wanted to give them the chance to pop the question, and feel the mixed emotions of finally having their wish of getting married come true.” Tancangco said. 

‘After the wedding, what goes next?’ is a common question for Filipino couples the morning after their big day, facing the uncertainty ahead. But Arcillas assured that this will not be the case for them. 

Despite being in custody, PDLs and their families have access to various health services and financial assistance, among others with the help of the BJMP and the city government. 

“Here in our city, all aspects—including health, education, peace and order—everything from their conception until their death and everything in between, we have assistance waiting for them,” Arcillas said.

BJMP officials, including Tancangco and Jail Inspector Emma Ramo, also stood as principal sponsors with a promise to guide the couples as they navigate the new chapter of their lives. 

“We are giving assurance to the couples that they will receive regular marriage counseling sessions, so even when they return to the society they are still holding their relationship as husband and wife dear to their hearts.” Ramo said. 

The jail warden advised the couples to pass through the hurdles of life together. 

“I hope they will continue to love each other because that is the reason they got married in the first place. Don’t give up, because their temporary time being apart is not the only challenge they will have to face. They should not give up, continue loving each other and trust in God. After all, God should be the center and guide of their relationship as husband and wife,” he said. 

Despite the short few hours they shared as a newly-wedded couple, the new husband and wife are one step closer to achieving the stability they long deserved. All that is left for them to do is to wait and hope for the day that they will finally walk hand in hand into the warmth of freedom, ready to face a society as a reformed individual. (PB/PIA-4A)