Sendong Flood: My Story

This might be a late post but it's just now that I had the time to sit, recollect and write some of the things that my family has experienced during the Sendong flood at Caga

yan de Oro City.

On the afternoon of 16th of December, I was chatting with my Mom and we were talking about the things that we will be bringing back home. We were scheduled to fly

that Monday ( December 19) and we were all looking forward for it. She mentioned about the internet connection being a bit slow because of the strong winds and rain.

Normally, I worry when I hear about heavy downpour in our city ( Cagayan de Oro) as we reside near the river and we experienced being flooded in 2009 (posts here, here and here) . But my mom didn't mention about heavy rains so, didn't think much of anything. So, that night, our family went out again to do our last minute 'pasalubong' shopping and came back late

. But, when I saw my friends' FB status update about the Cagayan river overflowing and flooding Carmen and Macanhan,

I panicked. I immediately called my Hubby who was putting the kids to sleep and we prayed. And when I called my Mom's phone, my sister answered and she calmly told me that there's nothing to worry about, they're all safe because they're already on top of the roof of the church. They've actually evacuated from the house earlier and went to the church, thinking that the

y will be safe there. I just couldn't believe what my sister has just said, I could barely speak when I heard that and tears were already streaming from my eyes. I can't imagine my 7

2 year old mom, my sisters, my nieces and nephews on top of the roof. I was very worried and we prayed that the water would subside.

I didn't sleep that night and I was just praying and monitoring my friends' status

over Facebook. After a few hours, I called again and was more relieved to know that the water has subsided and they have already gone down from the roof. They were all wet and were just trying to figure out how place themselves in the muddy church. I thank God that the flood is over and my family's safe!

The next morning, after only about an hour of sleep, I immediately checked my Facebook and it was there that I learned ( from my brother in law) that my mom's and 2 sisters' houses were completely wiped out from the flood! I cried again but I just praised God that at least my family were safe. After experiencing the 2009 flood, we have experienced great loss

since our things were destroyed but at the end God restored all things. It is of the same faith that we have that God will restore even our house or give us a newer and safer place to live. But it's just the thought of going home without a 'house' that saddened me. Our hous

e also placed a great sentimental value to our family since this is the house my late father literally built, 10 years ago.

I only had 2 more days to go before going back home.. and it was at that time th

at the more I want to go back home to be with my family......

Our church where my mom, brother in law, sisters, nieces, nephews climbed the roof for safety.

( to be continued)

When is the Perfect Time to Buy Life Insurance?

When is the Perfect Time to Buy Life Insurance?

The last thing on the mind of young people is life insurance. Young people know through the years that they will continue to age, but never actually grasp the concept that it’s really is going to happen to them. At least, not until they wake up one day with an aching body and wrinkled skin. Death is automatically associated with old age, but the reality is that anyone can die at any time.

Don’t Make Your Family Pay for Your Final Rites

When you reach adulthood, buy life insurance. It’s as simple as that. Most young single adults don’t think they need life insurance when no one is dependent on them for support. While that may be true, death is expensive. Who’s going to pay for your funeral expenses if you die tomorrow? Is it your aging parents, your siblings or are you planning to not have a funeral? You might save some money, but the law mandates specific guidelines to follow upon death.

Protect Your Dependents

Young married couples, with or without children, need life insurance. In most families, both spouses are required to work. Don’t get caught up in the outdated belief that only the husband needs life insurance. Death doesn’t recognize gender, so if a wife dies her husband's left with unpaid funeral expenses and financial adversity. Death is a catastrophic event, so don’t add monetary suffering to an already grieving family. It's your responsibility to protect your loved ones from financial hardships.

Life Insurance Never Gets Cheaper

Statistically, young people are low risk for life insurance companies. Although anyone can and do die, more elders die than any other sector of society. Insurance companies can pay claims on a percentage of young people and still make a hefty profit because they take in more in premiums than they pay out. Even children should have a life insurance policy. No one likes to think about the death of a child, but parents can provide life insurance for their children for just pennies a day.

Factors That Increase Life Insurance Costs

Several factors affect the cost of life insurance. Insurance companies consider age, health problems and life style along with statistical data. Generally, the younger you are the healthier you are, so term life insurance premiums will be cheaper than at any other time in your life. If you buy life insurance when you’re young, you can buy any type of insurance you prefer. Some permanent term policies lock the amount of the premium in for life.

The Risk of Waiting until Middle Age to Buy Life Insurance

If you think life insurance is unnecessary, educate yourself. When you compare rates at age twenty-five to rates at age forty-five, it’s clear why you need insurance when you’re young. Life insurance rates continue to rise with age. If you wait until you have health issues, most insurance companies will deny you coverage and you won’t be able to obtain insurance at all. If you do, the policy will probably have exclusions refusing payment if death results from an existing health condition.

Less Than 24 Hours

We have less than 24 more hours here in our city and soon we will be off to Thailand once again. So many things have taken place before and during our stay here in Cagayan de oro that I don't even know where to start. We've been quite busy right after the time we set foot in the city that I don't even have time to reflect and post the events that has transpired. Maybe by the time I get back home, I can write on those things one by one.

But all in all, I'm so glad of this opportunity to be back home at this point of time when my family has experienced the flood. We've spent precious time together, talking, celebrating (Christmas and New Year) bonding together. And if we speak of celebration, there must always be food around right? Oh, I think I've eaten so much for the holidays that someone might even recommend arizona weight loss for me. :)

Anyways, since we only have less than 24 hours left here in our city, I have to log off now and enjoy the next few ours in my beloved Cagayan de oro city with my family.

God bless Cagayan de Oro, and we will keep you in our prayers!