4 Kidapawan couples wed amid tremors

KIDAPAWAN CITY –– Love defies all odds.

Amid tremors on Wednesday morning, four couples here exchanged “I do’s” before Kidapawan Mayor Joseph Evangelista.

Work was canceled in government offices of Kidapawan following the 6.6-magnitude quake that struck off nearby Tulunan, Cotabato Tuesday, causing massive destruction in the city.

But Evangelista said he could not cancel the scheduled civil wedding rites, hence he made sure he was there a solemnizing officer for the four marriages.

The wedding rites took place under a tent that served as the earthquake incident command post of the local government.

Such civil weddings are usually held in the office of the city mayor but the entire City Hall building was still closed for structural integrity assessment.

A few meters from the wedding venue were hundreds of patients evacuated from different hospitals in the city.

The ceremony was interrupted thrice because of the tremors.

Between 9:17 a.m. to 10:14 a.m., the earthquake Information board of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded three earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.5, 4.6 and 2.1, all originating east of Tulunan.

From 7:04 a.m. to 12:03 p.m. of Wednesday, some 20 tremors were felt, the strongest of which was magnitude 4.6 at 9:37 a.m.

But the situation did not dampen the high spirits and excitement of the couples.

Newlyweds Anabel and Emiliano Hilario of Kalaisan village in Kidapawan said they didn’t mind that their wedding took place at a time of disaster.

Anabel said the circumstances even bring positive vibes for them.

“Bisan maglinog dayon gyod ang kasal; mabuhay ang bagong kasal” the beaming bride said.

(Even if there is an earthquake, the wedding must go on; hail to the newlyweds.)

After the ceremony, the couples left the venue for the reception in their respective homes as most hotels and wedding reception venues in the city were still closed for inspection. /lzb