Couple Elyn and Brian Garino got married at a border control checkpoint in the town of Tapaz, Capiz.
The two were from Capiz, but as a soldier, Dingle, Iloilo, was detained in the town of Dingle, Iloilo. The two did not meet for nearly two months after Iloilo and Capiz were placed under enhanced community quarantine brought by the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The couple consulted with the mayor of the town of Tapaz. When Mayor Roberto Palomar immediately agreed, they decided it is best to tie the knot in the checkpoint border.
“Hindi namin talaga in-allow ‘yung army na pumasok dito sa amin not unless ‘yung province of Iloilo maging GCQ . . . Strict ang checkpoint namin dito,” said Palomar.
(We don’t really allow the army to enter our province unless Iloilo would be put under GCQ. We strictly implement checkpoints here.)
The mayor made sure that Elyn and Brian obeyed the physical distancing and wearing of face masks. Instead of kissing, the couple just looked at each other’s eyes at the end of the ceremony.
There is no reception right after the wedding.
The mother and father of two also attended the ceremony. Elyn and Brian wanted to get married in a church so they could get a blessing from their parish, after the pandemic.
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Parents name child ‘John Covid’ in Negros Occidental
Parents in the province of Negros Occidental named their baby boy “John Covid” because they consider him a blessing amid the virus outbreak.
John Covid was born April 8 in Valladolid town as the second child of Jose Roquero Castillon, a policeman, and Jemma Castillon, a teacher.
According to the couple, amidst the challenges and hardships of the pandemic, John Covid’s birth was a reminder that there is positive that happened as well.
“John,” they say, is a biblical name that means the Lord’s humility and grace. Thus, “John Covid” for them is a reminder that amid the crisis, the Lord’s grace is not lost.
The couple does not deny that some speak negatively about the name of their second child. But, they just let it go.
The couple hopes that John Covid will be humble as he grows up and will be a blessing to those he meets.