Faith-based groups celebrate Marriage Week with PDLs, BCPO personnel; related activities slated
A marriage forum and renewal of vows for 16 Persons Deprived With Liberty (PDL) couples from the male and female dorm of the Baguio Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) is scheduled on Feb. 18, Saturday.
This is according to BJMP personnel Roy Basatan during the Marriage week kapihan at the Sr. Citizen Center last week.
The activities are led by Rev. Dr. Felicisimo Vestidas, Jr. and Rev. Rowena Orajay, both of the Uplife movement.
Last Valentines day, 30 couples from the 4Ps identified by the City Social Welfare and Development Office underwent a marriage encounter also facilitated by the Uplife movement. The discussions revolved around “Love and Communication in Marriage;” legitimization of marriage entries, by the Local Civil Registrar; and handling violence in marriage, by the Baguio City Police Office Women and Children Protection Desk (BCPO-WCPD).
Other forthcoming activities are students’ love, courtship, marriage and adolescent reproductive health (ARH) fora conducted through the efforts of the CSWDO, Department of Education (Dep-Ed), BCPO, Health Services Office (HSO), Special Services Division (SSD) and the City Mayors Office (CMO), and the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).
The CSWDO is also calling for interested couples married for 25 years or more, to enlist at their district or the main office for a city-sponsored renewal of vows on March 2.
Marriage counselling for couples is also being done at the Social Welfare unit offices, CSWDO head Liza Bulayungan said. Programs such as family counseling, renewal of vows, discipleship, continuous marriage and post-marriage enrichment are also done in coordination with the Uplife movement.
The Civil Registrars Office, according to its head Luz Perez, is also calling on cohabitating couples for the past 5 years or more to legalize their marriage through their office, the event to take place in June 2023. Said couples may submit the requirements at the LCR office, T. Alonzo street, beside the HSO.
The marriage week theme for this year is, “Marriage: One Flesh, Given and Received,” and the subtheme, “The He-A.R.T of Marriage, Beating Together as One.”
Giveaways from sponsors are distributed by Councilor Elmer Datuin, chair of the council committee on social services, women and urban poor.
Still from Basatan, despite being behind bars, Baguio PDLs are recipients of social services including interfaith devotion, mass, bible studies, prayer meeting; values education; reproductive health lecture through the Department of Health (DOH); health education and counseling for married dormers.
The PDLs also receive skills and livelihood training from the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) such as baking, pastry-making, electronics repair, manicure and pedicure training. They are also now allowed face-to-face visits from family members. – JGFianza
