TABUK, Kalinga (16 October) -- Leading in the promotion of Indigenous Peoples' (IP) Rights in the province, the National Commission on Indigenous People's (NCIP) office headed by Natividad Sugguiyao will be conducting a Tribal Mass Marriage on October 28 at the Cogon Gym of BIBAK-NAS Bulanao, Tabuk.

According to Sugguiyao, the event called the "Palanus Festival" highlights this year's celebration of IP Month this October. Palanus is the celebration of marriage union among Ykalingas. This she said is the first tribal wedding event in the Philippines.

The activity was conceptualized to provide a chance for those who were wedded according to traditions to secure legal documents for their marriage.

"There are a lot of couples that are married through traditions but were not given marriage contracts or certificates which is an important document needed for various legal purposes and for availing benefits," she said.

Sugguiyao is encouraging all interested couples whose marriages were performed in accordance with the customs and traditions and that there are no obstruction in their marriage to grab this rare opportunity by registering at the NCIP provincial office.

To ensure that there are no hindrances for the legalization of their marriage vows, Sugguiyao said that the Rotary Club of Tabuk would be handling the screening of applicants, while the event's banquet will be provided by NCIP.

Marriage according to the customs and traditions is one IP Right that is being recognized by law through the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the Office of the Civil Registrar.