31 Couples, One Memorable Celebration
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - For 31 couples in Barangay Labangal, Kagatbu Festival 2026 became the backdrop for a particularly meaningful milestone. The couples took part in Kasalan sa Barangay, a community wedding presided over by General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Geronimo Pacquiao as part of the barangay’s festival activities under Barangay Captain Alberto “Bobby” Pacquiao. Rather than treating the ceremony as simply another festival program, the gathering placed married life and family commitment at the center of the celebration. It also reflected how barangay festivities can include occasions that are deeply personal to residents, allowing couples to celebrate their unions alongside neighbors and the wider Labangal community.
Rice, Cash Gifts, and a Surprise for the Newlyweds
The celebration came with practical surprises for the newly married couples. According to the event reference, Mayor Pacquiao gave each couple 25 kilos of rice and a cash gift through the BobsLor Pacquiao Foundation Inc. and 1Pacman Partylist. Four couples were also selected through a raffle to receive an additional PHP5,000 each, giving the newlyweds another unexpected reason to celebrate. The gifts add a practical dimension to the ceremony because rice and financial assistance can be useful to households beginning or continuing their married journey. Instead of focusing solely on the formality of the wedding, the program also gave attention to what families can take home after the celebration.
Three Livelihood Carts Bring Another Kind of Opportunity
The surprises did not stop with the wedding gifts. Three raffle winners received livelihood food carts equipped with motorcycles, along with kitchenware, 15 kilos of chicken, and five kilos of peanuts, with each package valued at PHP100,000 according to the supplied event reference. The livelihood packages were provided through the Local Government Unit of General Santos, turning part of the festival program toward income-generating possibilities. That makes the Kasalan sa Barangay story different from a typical mass-wedding feature: alongside the photographs, vows, and congratulations, the event also included tangible assistance that could help selected residents explore a small food-business opportunity.
