‘Bagyo ka lang, Ikakasal kami’ – couple in Santa Marcela exchanged vows amidst Typhoon KRISTINE

Santa Marcela, Apayao – There is no stopping love… not even a tropical storm.

Not minding the inclement weather brought by Typhoon Kristine, Gwendolyn Aliang, 25, a resident of Barangay Marcela, and Loue John Ofilan, 31, from Batangas, exchanged their wedding vows at the Mayor's office on October 23, promising to love one another through thick and thin.

Mayor Evelyn B. Martinez, who officiated the wedding, commended the couple's resilience and eagerness to proceed, saying the couple's love and commitment is inspiring. She urged the newlyweds to build their relationship on a foundation of love, faith, and partnership to make it strong and stand through time.

"May your love for each other and God guide you through life's challenges... May you stand strong together, knowing God is always with you," the Mayor reiterated.

According to the couple, they met each other in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and had been engaged for some months before they decided to tie the knot.

Their love story started when they met in a church in Saudi. After making sure of their feelings, they set the date and said they would push through with it. And thus, despite TS Kristine's threat, they proceeded with the wedding.

"I pledge to love you and take good care for you," Loue firmly assured her wife, Gwendolyn, during the exchange of vows at the Mayor’s Office.

"I promise my life is yours forever.. I will honor and submit to you as we build a family we dreamed of," Gwendolyn responded.

The unlikely weather condition became a beacon of hope and love as the determined couple sealed their union, before the witnesses amidst said storm.

As the typhoon slightly intensifies while approaching its landfall, moderate winds howled and scattered heavy rains pounded the municipality. Nevertheless, Gwendolyn and Loue's ceremony proceeded with joy and laughter, undeterred by the typhoon's disruption.

Although TS Kristine rages mildly on outside, the ceremony was intimate, as Gwendolyn and Loue embark on their new journey together, hand in hand, accompanied by their families and friends.