“We believe getting married should not be beyond the reach of the poor…”

That’s the line that struck me in the email inviting us to witness first-hand a mass wedding organized by a Christ-centered development organization.  KMBI (Kabalikat para sa Maunlad na Buhay, Inc.) helps in transforming lives in poor communities and develop its human resources by providing sustainable micro-finance, training, and demand-driven non-financial services.

Although we couldn’t come due to a previous commitment, we asked them to tell us how the day went by sending us their story and some images after the event.

Wedding was set last June 25 (Saturday), the day Typhoon Falcon stormed Metro Manila. The flooding around the venue made up for some very interesting wedding pictures.

Here’s their story…

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Rain and floodwater did not stop them! 563 couples in 66 branches nationwide exchanged vows and tied the knot despite of Falcon’s raging winds and rain as KMBI spearheaded its annual mass wedding.

“Malaki ang tulong nito. Una, spiritually blessed ka ng God, blessed ka ng minister, blessed kang society… so malaki ang benefit nito,” says Mr. Joel Clavecilla, branch manager of Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

It was an emotional, spiritual and fun-filled event as the couples made a covenant before men and God in the sanctity of marriage. Couples from Valenzuela branch even had to ride on a truck and pedicab, with the brides’ wedding gowns safely kept in a plastic bag, just to make it to the venue.

For some, it was a dream come true as some couples had concerns as to what kind of wedding and church they would attend because of difference in religious beliefs.

Ronalyn Marino, a program member from Tandang Sora and a Catholic, who got married to Radia Solaiman Disomimba, a Muslim, said that she’s grateful because KMBI has prepared an ecumenical wedding for couples like them aside from the financial support it gave for the wedding.

“Maraming problem – sa religion, sa family. Ngayon, binigay sa amin ng KMBI ang pagsasama na tiyak para sa Kanya. Para maging legal ang pamilya namin, maging legal yung pagsasama namin.” Ronalyn and Radia already have a child.

The ecumenical mass wedding was joined by couples of different spiritual background and orientation who have been living together and most already have children. This is one of the organization’s major activities that are being taken care of by the Transformation Department. It aims to reach one of the components of its SEES (Spiritual, Economic, Environmental, Social) program, which is to draw people near to God and have a deeper relationship with Him.

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MABUHAY ANG BAGONG KASAL! 🙂