For years, siblings Dember and Cristina remained unbaptized due to financial struggles. Their mother, Mary Grace Rosalin, could not afford the expenses of a baptism ceremony.

“Kasi sa hirap ng buhay. Walang pera. Walang tumutulong sa akin,” Rosalin said.

Dember, born in 2011, has already stopped going to school, while Cristina, born in 2015, is the only one still studying.

But now, thanks to the town’s Binyagang Bayan (Mass Baptism), the siblings will finally receive the sacrament as part of the Mangaldan town fiesta celebrations.

According to the Local Civil Registry Office, 57 children are set to be baptized on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

Parents had to undergo a registration process before being included in the list.

“Ang proseso, pinapapunta muna namin sa simbahan. Pag okay sa requirement, balik sila dito para mailista name nila,” Mangaldan Local Civil Registrar Aida Rivo-Cera said.

Cera said the program greatly helps families who cannot afford baptism expenses.

“Kung magpapabinyag, gagastos. Ngayon, libre [sa Binyagang Bayan],” she added.

The initiative aims to ease the financial burden on parents while ensuring their children get baptized.