Convincing someone to get to talk about life insurance in the Philippines setting could be really hard. And let’s be honest, this isn’t something that we can just casually discuss as it throws in the topic of death, separation, responsibilities, and money to the conversation.
If you really think about it, getting life insurance can be strategic. Of course, no one can really tell when a person will really die. But that what life insurance is for. Its ultimate purpose is that in case untimely death of the holder, the dependents that will be left behind will not have to carry the burden of worrying for the expense of the death care service.
Now, there are many cause of an untimely death. According to the World Health Organization, road injuries ranks number 10 as the main cause of untimely death. Road injuries kill more than HIV/AIDS which only ranks at the 13th spot. This data seems to reflect well in the Philippine setting as the Road Crash Statistics Report of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s Metro Manila Accident Recording and Analysis System reported that in the National Capital Region alone in 2015, there are a total of 95,615 road accidents. In this data, 517 were considered as fatal accidents.
In Tanay Rizal, 15 people, mostly consisting of students of Bestlink College of the Philippines, met an untimely death when the tour bus they were on lost its brake and rammed an electric post while they were on their way into a camping trip.
Ten of the victims died on the spot while the five others died in the hospital. Included in the casualties are the driver of the said bus and a teacher.
Just after the Lenten break, April 18, 2017, an over-loaded mini bus fell into a 100 feet deep ravine along a winding road near the boundary of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya on their way back to Manila and Ilocos. The said accident has claimed 29 dead passengers, including a six-month infant and 7 other children. Many are still critically wounded and 38 were injured.
According to a survivor, the accident occurred when the said bus tried to overtake another bus but then its engine stopped. The driver lost control of the vehicle when he was trying to restart the engine on a sloping part of the road.
Many factors may have contributed to these accidents like human error and the condition of the roadways in the Philippines but we cannot deny that these two cases show how unpredictable death can really be. One moment they were just taking a vacation, camping, having a laugh with their friends and family, enjoying their Lenten break—the next moment, they are gone. Families are left grieving. Dreams are shattered. A million conversations will be left unsaid.
With all this accidents occurring in the roads of the Philippines, it leads us back to our previous discussion about life insurance. Will we be ready when death takes us?
My Philippines 