14 Couples Say 'I Do' in CCT Negros Mass Wedding

Fourteen couples exchanged wedding vows in a collective wedding ceremony organized by the staff of the Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries in Negros. Eleven of the couples had been living together as husband and wife for more than five years  before the ceremony. 

The oldest person among those wed was a 52-year old man who married his 30-year old bride. The youngest was a 20 year old bride who married her 23-year old groom.   Seven of the brides are current micro finance partners, while the rest are children or relatives of community partners. All the couples attended three Christian marriage counselling meetings in the weeks prior to the ceremony.

The Negros staff have held a mass wedding once a year since 2003.The wedding was officiated this year by Rev. Rene Bajalan of Murcia Evangelical Church and held at the Check Inn Pension Arcade, Bacolod City.  Visions of Hope Christian School students served as flower girls and ring bearers.  

    

CCT Microfinance Partner Joins Agrilink

CCT micro finance partner Rose Eroles (right) assists a customer at the Agrilink Expo
at the World Trade Center in Pasay 

Rosemarie Eroles, CCT microfinance beneficiary from Quezon City, joined other entrepreneurs at the  World Trade Center for a  three-day event exhibition -- The 19^th International Agribusiness Exhibition and Seminars, 13^th International Food Processing, Packaging, and Products Exhibition and 8^th National Fisheries Exhibition and Seminars held on  October 4-6, 2012. 

Rose is one of more than 100,000 micro entrepreneurs throughout the country assisted by CCT  through its microfinance program.

From 2002 to 2006, business was booming for  Rosemarie who is in the handicrafts business. But with the economic crisis of  2006 , her business was affected and plunged to zero. She was brokenhearted and dismayed. To make things worse, her husband lost his job.

In 2010, a neighbor encouraged Rose to join CCT. She hesitated at first, thinking the starting loan of P4000 was too small to help her start her business again. But she joined anyway. By  God's grace and with hard work, the business recovered and she was able to attract customers here and abroad again.

After just two years with CCT Rose currently has a loan of P80,000 which is a tremendous help to her business. Aside from providing her with capital, CCT  helps promote  her business by displaying her products at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center and by showing her how to improve her products through the mentoring program. “CCT is my guide. I always went solo before but now I can be in a healthy community that can help me in different areas of my life,” says Rosemarie.  She is thankful to CCT for giving her the opportunity to join the expo at World Trade Center for free.

Last year, a client from Hawaii placed orders for P80,000 worth of products -- then failed to pay for the whole lot and Rose was left with a warehouse full of stocks.  She joins exhibits like Agrilink to have better access to customers.  

 The pictures below show her products: ladies bags and hats made of buri and pandan fibers.