Couple meet at Pangasinan border control checkpoint to tie the knot

 These couple was forced to exchange "I dos" at Pangasinan border control checkpoint in Urdanita after the groom was denied to enter his girlfriend's hometown where their wedding was supposed to hold. 

Erwin Zabala is a nurse from United Kingdom and he wanted to meet Ruby Papio for the first time and marry her after months of online long-distance relationship. So, he decided to go home in Pangasinan. He undergo the 10-day quarantine and after he was cleared he directly went home, excited to see his girlfriend. 

Papio, 37, a native of Villasis town, Pangasinan, said in an interview that Zabala, 43, a native of Tayug town also in Pangasinan, including the officiating officer with him were not allowed to enter the province due to lack of LGU documents such as Safe, Swift, and sPass that prompted them to hold the wedding ceremony at the border checkpoint.

"That was the day of our wedding. He was with the officiating officer from Manila. He just finished his 10-day quarantine in Manila. They tried to enter three border checkpoints but they were not allowed entry. It was his first time to go home during this time so they were not able to get an sPass," she said.

Their wedding was supposed to be held in a solemn and private ceremony with just them, the officiating officer and two witnesses.

When he showed his certification that he already finished quarantine and the negative RT-PCR test result he could already enter the province but the officiating officer was still not allowed.

She added that it was impossible at the time to get LGU approval for the sPass since it was a Sunday.

"He (Zabala) told me that we will just conduct our wedding at the border. I fetched him at the border and I cannot believe that the OWWA officer and a staff of the PCG will be our principal sponsor or godparents)," she said.