Fewer couples are choosing to get married

Is it because weddings are becoming too expensive?

According to a Saksi report by Katrina Son, the Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) noted that in a 10-year period, there has been a downtrend in weddings in the Philippines.

While the total number of weddings in 2017 rose to 434,932 — from 419,628 in 2016 — PSA noted a significant decrease from the 486,514 weddings recorded in 2008.

The agency added that four out of ten weddings in 2017 were civil ceremonies, which cost significantly less than the lowball figure of P90,000 for church weddings.

Belying the testimonies of the couples featured in the report is Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Executive Secretary Father Jerome Secillano, who denied that church weddings are expensive.

"Ang mahalaga dito, yung seremonya," Secillano said. — Rie Takumi/LA, GMA News