Ciara Sotto and Roselle Nava Tie the Knot with their Beaus

Two celebrities, namely actress-singer Ciara Sotto and singer Roselle Nava said their “I do’s” to their respected partners last January 17, 2010.

Ciara Sotto (real name Ciara Anna G. Sotto) exchanged vows with Jojo Oconer in a Christian wedding ceremony held at the Westfield Manila Polo Club in Makati City. The newlywed couple had an “Old English” wedding theme with lavender as the color motif.

The youngest daughter of former Senator and Dangerous Drugs Board Chair Vicente Tito Sotto III and veteran actress Helen Gamboa wore a vintage inspired gown made by Mitch Dulce. Accompanying the bride was Megastar Sharon Cuneta, who served as Matron of Honor, as well as Danica Sotto-Pingris and the bride’s best friend, Cat Bautista, as Maids of Honor.

Oconer is the Chief Operating Officer of APT Entertainment, the producer of the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga!, which Ciara is a part of.

The wedding was attended by their family and friends in the showbiz industry as well as politics. Among the members of the entourage include members of Eat Bulaga! such as Julia Clarete, Joey de Leon, Vic Sotto, and Pia Guanio, as well as TAPE, Inc, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Malou Choa-Fagar. Also present during the wedding were Senator Gringo Honasan, Cong. Romeo Jalosjos (represented by his son Bullet Jalosjos) Pops Fernandez, KC Concepcion, Mother Lily Monteverde, among others.

The two first met in 2005 during one of the US tour of the country’s longest-running noontime variety show. After four years of being a couple, Oconer mustered the courage to pop the question to Ciara last March 20, 2009.

The newlyweds: Mr. Allen Ford Lee Tan and Mrs. Roselle Nava - Tan. Photo by Dino Lara Photography

On the same day, singer Roselle Nava said ‘I Do’ to her boyfriend of nine years, Allen Ford Lee Tan, at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila. The former Ang TV child star walked down the aisle wearing a Cecilio Abad gown with Bituin Escalante singing Savage Garden’s “I Knew I Loved You.”

The event was attended by the newlywed’s family and close friends. Included in the entourage were former Ang TV casts Lindsay Custodio, Rica Peralejo, and Jolina Magdangal.

Fulfilling his promise to the couple, actor-singer Piolo Pascual surprised Roselle and Allen when he sang Jim Brickman’s “The Gift” during the wedding ceremony.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Tan, along with their guest and family members, headed out to Palacio de Maynila for their wedding reception. The newlyweds wowed the crowd as they entered their reception venue riding a motorcycle.

Roselle and Allen met each other through a common friend, back when the singer was still shooting for TV drama “Tabing Ilog”.

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Kasal.com thanks the following sources for this article:

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DOT, MECO’s Efforts to Make RP Wedding Haven for Taiwanese to be Seen this Year

The fruits of the marketing efforts of the Department of Tourism (DOT) as well as the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) to place the Philippines as the prime beach wedding destination for Taiwanese couples may be seen this year.

From October to November last year, DOT and MECO have exerted efforts to attract soon-to-wed Taiwanese couples to have their wedding in the beaches of Boracay, Palawan, Cebu, Davao, and other island and coastal areas in the country. Currently, Taiwanese couples prefer to have beach weddings in Hawaii.

“The beauty of our beaches remains one of our major draws for Taiwanese. Many couples looking to get married abroad do so in Hawaii , but Philippine beaches can more than hold their own, especially when cost is factored in,” Ireneo Reyes, MECO director for tourism said in an interview.

As part of its marketing campaign directed to soon-to-wed Taiwanese couples, MECO is said to facilitate the Boracay beach wedding of Malaysian singer Fish Leong to businessman Tony Zhao some time in January of this year. In March, the Office will bring model-actress Tia Lee to El Nido, Palawan for a photo shoot for her new book.

Last year, the two government agencies conducted product presentations in Kaohsiung, Taichung and Taipei from October 26 to 29 and joined the Taipei International Travel Fair (TITF) held at the Taipei World Trade Center last October 30 to November 2, 2009.

Travel of potential Taiwanese tourist will be easier due to the addition of direct flights from Taipei to Aklan, Taichung to Aklan, and Kaohsiung to Aklan. DOT is currently negotiating with China Airlines to re-open the Taipei-Cebu charter flight.

During the TITF, the Philippine delegation was able to close a total of 221 bookings for group tours and more than 800 bookings. Aside from beach weddings, Taiwanese tourists expressed interest in dive sites, golf, and schools offering English as Secondary Language (ESL) programs.

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Kasal.com thanks the following sources for this article:
de Leon, Max, Business Mirror. Meco plans to entice more Taiwan visitors (Posted December 16, 2009). Retrieved January 11, 2010 from
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de Vera, Ben Arnold, The Manila Times. Taiwanese arrivals in Boracay seen (Posted December 1, 2009). Retrieved January 11, 2010 from
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Osorio, Ma. Elisa, The Philippine Star. RP sites pushed as alternative to Hawaii. (Posted November 27, 2009). Retrieved January 11, 2010 from
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=527043

Ho, Abigain, Philippine Daily Inquirer. RP targets slice of Taiwan’s ‘beach wedding’ mart (Posted November 27, 2009). Retrieved January 11, 2010 from
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http://www.88news.net/2009/11/11/fish-leong-getting-married-in-philippines/

Women’s Party-List Group Propose Marriage Expiration

A women party-list group running in the upcoming May 2010 elections plans to propose in Congress a law that would place an expiration period for marriages, unless renewed by the couple.

Women’s party-list group 1-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA) President Marjie Tajon said that this bill will benefit abandoned and separated women forced to become single parents and save numerous couples trapped in marriages gone sour. Also this will spare couples from the expensive and lengthy process of annulment. The proposal suggests that marriages be tagged with a 10-year validity and if couples fail to renew it, their marriage will be null and void.

1-ABAA claims to represent the abandoned and separated women as well as women involved in livelihood and community projects and programs, women entrepreneurs and workers, and other advocates of economic empowerment for women.

In an interview during a news forum held at the Danarra Hotel in Quezon City last January 7, 2010, President Tajon said that marriage should be like a driver’s license or passport; that if you are not interested to renew it, then it expires. Such would allow couples to head their separate ways easily when the marriage expires. However, the measure will also allow couples assess their relationship and renew their vows and commitment to one another, which will strengthen the relationship of the husband and wife.

President Tajon clarified that it’s the marriage itself that they would like to have an expiration period since the marriage license already has one. According to Article 20 Chapter I of the Family Code, a marriage license is valid for only one hundred twenty (120) days, roughly four months from the date of issue. Also, the 1-ABAA representative said that they are not ‘waging war’ against the Catholic Church. “Dynamism is needed in our laws to adapt to the changing times and prevailing situations without necessarily putting aside values and traditions”, stressed Tajon.

Even though the bill hasn’t been put to writing, oppositions to the idea have surfaced. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)-Public Affairs Committee (PAC) chairman Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez said that marriage is for life and should have no expiry date. Couples wishing to get married should be prepared for this long-term commitment.

Gabriela Representative Luzviminda Ilagan said that the proposal of 1-ABAA will just create more social problems and will allow more children to suffer the consequences of separation. Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao, chairman of the House committee on Revision of Laws and Citizens Battle Against Corruption Rep. Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales said that the proposal is ‘unconstitutional’ since it runs contrary to the Family Code of the Philippines and the Constitution.

Title 1 Chapter 1 Article 1 of the Family Code states that a “marriage is a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life”.

In an interview with Journal Online, senatorial candidate and Party-list representative Liza Maza said that the proposal “could even tolerate the cycle of violence to continue as long as the contract has not yet expired”. Instead, Rep. Maza proposed the passage of House Bill No. 4016 or the Divorce Law in the Philippines.

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Kasal.com thanks the following sources for this article:

Atom Araullo, ABS-CBN News. 'Renewable marriage' proposed (Posted January 11, 2010). Retrieved January 12, 2010 from
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Philippines Visited by 3 Million Tourist in 2009

About three million tourists visited the Philippines last year, two million less than the 5 million target.

In a statement, Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Oscar Payabyab said that the lower projection, he explained, was due to the contraction of outbound tourist traffic in the country’s usual market, particularly Japan and Korea. However, the decrease was made up the increase arrival of Chinese and Taiwanese tourists.

Usec. Payabyab admitted that the recent calamities had a negative effect on the tourism industry. “Baguio City, for instance, lost over 2,000 domestic tourists since it had to forego hosting the [21st Philippine] Advertising Congress because of the flooding and landslides,” he said.

Among local destinations, the Queen City of the South, Cebu City, drew the biggest number of visitors followed by Camarines Sur. The third most favored destination was Baguio City and the rest of the Cordillera Autonomous Region followed by Bohol and Palawan.

Despite the global financial crisis, tourist arrival statistics did not project negative digits primarily due to the positive role of local media and holiday economics. The media was able to highlight the beautiful destinations in the country and through reports, warned tourists where violent incidents occur. On the other hand, holiday economics enabled workers to plan their vacations for the long weekend ahead.

Meanwhile, Malacanang associated the stable tourism growth to better infrastructure, liberalized airline industry, and improved tourism facilities.

From 2004 to August of 2009, P555 billion worth of investment went to the development of transportation, tourism eco-zones, accommodation and other related facilities. The liberalization of the airline industry has resulted in the opening of air routes to and from major tourist markets, including Incheon, Busan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Kaohsiung. Tourism-related infrastructure projects such as construction of hotels and other facilities have also made the Philippines as a viable destination to foreign tourists.

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Kasal.com thanks the following sources for this article:
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Celebrity Weddings of 2009

It is that time of the year again to recall the most talked about weddings this year. Their love stories and wedding highlights unfolded before our eyes through showbiz talk shows on television and radio and entertainment section in print and online. As we finally bid goodbye to 2009, Kasal.com recalls 2009's notable celebrity weddings.

Jay Contreras Sarah Abad wedding
February 12, 2009
Rock band Kamikazee frontman Jay Contreras married former child star Sarah Abad at the Chapel of St. Pancratius in Paco Park, Manila. Sticking to their rocker style, the wedding color motif was black with red accents. The members of the entourage and guest were all wearing black with red roses as boutonnieres and bouquets. Sarah stood out with her white wedding gown with black waistband. The wedding was attended by their family and friends from the local showbiz and music industry, including the members of the band.

Banjo Albano- Sarah Meier
March 3, 2009
Popular events and television host Sarah Meirer and husband Banjo Albano had their church wedding at The Transfiguration Chapel (Calaruega Church) in Nasugbu, Batangas. The wedding reception was held at Hacienda Isabella. Bohemian and purple motif was their chosen motif. The two have been civilly married in the US three years before having their church wedding.

Alma Moreno - Sultan Fahad “Pre” Salic
March 21, 2009
Paranaque City Councilor and actress Alma Moreno (real name: Vanessa Laxamana) married Sultan Fahad “Pre” Salic, the mayor of Marawi City, Lanao del Sur last March at the Vistamar Resort in Cebu under Islamic wedding rites. Although Islamic in nature, the wedding also infused traditional Catholic wedding rites. In an interview, Councilor Moreno said that they met during the Philippine Councilor’s League wherein Moreno acted as the national secretary general.

Ryan Agoncillo -Judy Ann Santos
April 28, 2009
Celebrity couple Ryan Agoncillo (real name Kristoffer Ryan Agoncillo) and Judy Ann Santos (real name Judy Anne Lumagui Santos) said their ‘I do’s’ behind media eyes in San Juan Nepomuceno Church in San Juan, Batangas. The public only knew about their wedding after reports came out saying that the couple along with several personalities were spotted in the area. A month after, Yes! magazine and ABS-CBN produced a wedding special about the event.

Stella Ruiz - Philip Peredo
September 5, 2009
Former sexy star Stella Ruiz (Real name Estella White) and husband Fil-Am businessman Philip Peredo exchanged vows at the St. Peter The Apostle Church at Henderson, Nevada, USA. The two have been civilly married last March 19 in the US. The two shared their wedding preparation and love story through their website http://www.philipandestella.com/

Manuel 'Mar' Roxas III - Korina Sanchez
October 27, 2009
Dubbed as the “Wedding of the Year”, Vice Presidential candidate Senator Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas II and veteran broadcaster Korina Sanchez went for Contemporary Filipiniana as the theme of their wedding. The two initially planned a grandiose wedding ceremony followed by a reception at the Araneta Coliseum. Instead, the couple decided to donate the amount to be used for the lavish celebration for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy.

Angelika dela Cruz - Orion Casareo
December 4, 2009
Veteran actress Angelika dela Cruz (Real name Maria Lourdes Egger Dela Cruz) and husband Orion Casareo exchanged “I do’s” in their church wedding held last December 4, 2009 in Tagaytay City, Cavite. Major details of their wedding were not disclosed since the two insisted to have a private and intimate wedding ceremony.

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Kasal.com thanks the following sources for this article:

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