A traditional jeepney in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, became an impromptu bridal car when it ferried a bride through floodwaters to her wedding.
Glaiza Ventanilla-Solomon did not expect her September 26 wedding to encounter setbacks, but Super Typhoon Nando brought heavy rains that left the city’s roads submerged.
Determined to proceed with the wedding, the couple and their team found an alternative ride.
The ride from the hotel to the church, Santuario de San Juan Evangelista, would last for only 30 thirty minutes, but getting there became a challenge as her bridal car, a sedan, could not drive through knee-deep water.
Glaiza said she was ready to take any vehicle—a bus or taxi—with high ground clearance that could get her to the church.
“Sabi, ayaw daw po nila,” she told PhilSTAR Exclusives.
Their event coordinator eventually flagged down an empty jeepney, whose driver agreed to bring the bride and her entourage to the church.
“At the moment, nasa jeep ako. Instead of bridal car, bridal jeep!” Glaiza said in the same-day edit of their wedding video. “Buti pa ’yung groom, nasa car!”
She later shared the video on Facebook with the caption, “No flood can stop me from saying ‘I DO!'”
Reactions
TikTok user @ellarmt also posted a video of the bride riding the jeepney en route to the church.
“May the government of this chartered city make action for this. May the next ‘unforgettable experience’ of the people may not be like this,” she wrote on September 26.
“As bride’s assistant and event coordinator, we need to be resilient all the time. Make a way, find a way. We’re super thankful that the bishop who will officiate their wedding understood the situation,” the TikTok user added.
@ellarmt Bridal Car ❎ Bridal Jeep ✅ #floodcoontrol #dagupancity #dagupanflood #eventcoordinator #eventsbyneri ♬ Jet2 Advert – ✈️A7-BBH | MAN 🇬🇧
The newlyweds also thanked their wedding guests, who equally braved the floodwaters to attend their nuptials.
Muriel Louise Aquino said that while the incident was a “story of resilience,” it also serves as an “eye opener to all [government] officials in Dagupan City.”
“ALSO???? Gusto niyo jeepney phaseout? Paano na lang kung walang jeep, ‘di ba. Still, congrats, ate and kuya Jan Lester Solomon, Glaiza Mae Ventanilla-Solomon,” she said in a Facebook post.
Solutions needed
In a separate interview with GMA News, groom Jan Lester Solomon expressed hope that local officials would develop both short-term and long-term solutions to the city’s chronic flooding.
“Parang nasanay na lang ‘yung mga tao na everytime na umuulan ng malakas, babaha kaagad,” the couple said.
Last September, it was reported that Dagupan City was working on an ordinance to address the long-standing problem of flooding in the city.
The report stated that establishing a “twinning agreement” with nearby municipalities was discussed to ensure a more effective coordination in flood management.
Councilor Joey Tamayo earlier said the city’s geography—serving as a catch basin for runoff from the Cordillera region and tides from the coast—makes it particularly prone to flooding.
