11 inmates marry inside Mandaue jail
Even behind bars, 11 male inmates and their partners were still able to exchange their “I dos” inside the Mandaue City Jail (MCJ) yesterday morning.
They were all smiles when they sealed their union in a mass wedding inside the jail facility.
Most of the couples who received the sacrament of matrimony had already lived in one roof before their other half served jail time.
Majority of the 11 inmates are facing murder and illegal drug cases, according to Jail Officer 2 Blanche Aliño, community relations officer of the facility.
The youngest groom aged 26, while the oldest is 40. Both of them are in relationship for more than five years.
“Naa man gud inmates nga dugay na nagpuyo sa sulod and they really want to get married,” Aliño said.
He said the inmates went through a selection process prior to the wedding.
The wedding was organized by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) – WoMandaue.
JCI-WoMandaue, a non-profit organization of women in the city, aims to empower individuals in terms of business and in serving the community.
Aliño said the program in MCJ was based on the organization’s national project called “Beyond Prison Walls,” one of the flagship projects of JCI.
This project aims to help the correctional community (the people behind bars) in their total human development based on the principles of a balanced and restorative justice namely; human rights advocacy to the accused, sports, cultural and educational programs and providing them with livelihood opportunities.
The theme for the organization’s MCJ program is dubbed as “Love Beyond Prison Walls,” wherein qualified inmates are given the chance to marry their long-time partners.
It was the very first wedding inside MCJ and was officiated by Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing past 10 a.m. yesterday.
Wedding organizers, photographers, and videographers covered the mass wedding at no cost to the jail management or organization.
Aliño said they are planning to hold the wedding every year as yesterday’s event turned out successful.
The JCI-WoMandaue has encouraged other city jails to coordinate with them so that their inmates will also have a slice of happiness by marrying their loved ones.