St. Peter Life Plan is not new to me and we, my husband and I, have actually secured our memorial plans. The good thing about St. Peter's life plan it is transferable. Last May 2017 was one of the saddest moment of my life when our father died. I transferred the plan to him and St. Peter gave the services to my father (though I'm still waiting for the answers to my queries).

Most problems of different families occur when their loved ones died. One of the biggest problems is where they will get the support for the funeral services. There is a saying that "Mahal and mamatay"(too expensive to die) , it is a reality that it is difficult to avail funeral services and other things needed when you die.

That's why my husband and I got a memorial plan so that we are ready and our families don't have to worry if things get out of way. It is really a big help to lessen the burden of my family.


To emphasize the need to plan ahead, not just for one's memorial needs but at all times, St. Peter have partnered this year with escape room game expert Breakout Philippines to offer special discounts for all St. Peter Plan holders, employees, and sales agents. 100 pesos will be deducted from their booking fee upon presenting documents like St. Peter IDs or the White Copy of their St. Peter Life Plan Contract. The promo will be available from October 1 to November 6, 2017 in the Breakout rooms and branches;

SM North EDSA (Boogeyman and Sleep No More)
Greenbelt 5 (Corpse Bride)
Katipunan (Clownhouse)
Paragon Plaza (Hide and Seek)

I personally experience this Breakout room together with my blogger friends. We did out best and we were so tense doing it and it was a memorable moment with my friends. Though we failed but still it was a great experience to treasure.

St. Peter Life Plan launches the DeathCare Week is a major corporate social responsibility and public service program of St. Peter Chapels that aims to promote awarenedss on Death Care planning and preparation. It is also their way of joining the entire nation in commemorating All Saints and All Souls Day (UNDAS), which are traditionally honored events for Filipinos. This is their 10th year celebation.

St. Peter Death Care Week starts on October 27 and culminates on November 2 every year. The dates were picked simply because the dates also coincides with the anniversary date of the company. It is during these dates the Filipinos visit, honor and remember their departed loved one. This is the best time to be aware of DeathCare preparation and planning for such realties.

Here are some of the activities of St. Peter Life Plan;

PINK CASKET DISPLAY

Standing Pink casket replicates will be displayed at the St. Peter tents in selected cemeteries nationwide during the St. Peter Deathcare week. Cemetery-goers and passersby can take photos inside the pink casket and enjoy the unique and free photo opportunity with their loved ones and friends.

FREE PINK TRICYCLE RIDES

As part of the public service offerings this Undas, St. Peter have commissioned tricycle drivers in selected areas nationwide to offer free tricycle rides for commuter going to the cemetery on October 31 and November 1, 2017. They have painted the tricycles in color pink, to keep the spirit light in the midst of Undas traffic.

The Pink Tricycle will  serve the following areas;

Laoag Public Cemetery
Manila North Cemetery
Love Memorial Park
El Reposo Cemetery
Catholic Cemetery
Holy Family Cemetery
Rizal Memorial Park
Holy Garden 
Everest Hill Memorial Park
San Carlos Memorial Park
Oton Public Cemetery
La Filipina Public Cemetery
Lower Lamak Cemetery
Bicol Memorial Park
Marilao Catholic Cemetery
Tuguegarao Public Cemetery

ST. PETER PINK TENTS

St. Peter Tents will put up in selected cemeteries nationwide to provide assistance tot he fellow filipinos who will be traditionally spending their evenings at the cemeteries from October 31 to November 1, 2017. The tents will be in color Pink so they easily recognizalbe and noticeable. Free hand fans and umbrellas will also provide as giveaways to cemetery goers who will take picture on Pink Casket and avail the St. Peter products during this period.

THANKSGIVING MASS

In thanksgiving of St. Peter colorful years in the DeathCare Industry, they will have a Eucharistic Celebration on October 29, 2017 (Sunday) at the Talitha Kum Healing mass on TV which will be aired 8:00am in PTV 4 (formerly NBN 4). It will be attended by employees, plan holders and officers of St. Peter 
For more details log on to www.stpeter.com.ph and visit their facebook account at www.facebook.com/stpeterlifeplanandchapels

The second part of my blog post that I know will really get into your nerves if you read this. So it starts.

May 16, it was early in the morning when we went to St. Peter's office for the signed death certificate, we got the signed death certificate and went to City Hall for the document to be registered. After which we went to Bagbag Cemetery for the place to bury my father's remains. Thank God we finished it all in one day.

May 17, we stayed in our parent's house for the wake. During that time most of our visitors were asking why St.Peter didn't have any flowers. Though we bought our own flowers, still it's part of their services. So I asked my collector, Ate Nilda, she said it should have flowers and it should have been delivered immediately.

It was May 18 when Ate Nilda talked to me and informed me that Ms. Jennie will follow up at the flower shop. It was 9:30PM when the flowers was delivered, it was Thursday and the 6th night of my father's wake.

May 19, early in the morning, my Mother and I bought some of the things that we need on my father's interment day. And we looked for some Chapels to blessed my father's remains at their house. We are so tired, so my mother took some rest in our house and later on decided to go home where my father's wake is. At 230pm, Owen called up and asked if I already paid the burial payment. I told him that I don't know because the documents were at my Parents house. He insisted that I need to go to City Hall together with my mother to pay for the burial fees. We were so tired and the time is already 3:00 PM. We were stressed out that day because of the time constraint in order to process that burial payment that they said. I asked him if I can have it processed on another day. Insistingly he said that it is one of the requirement for my father's burial on Sunday. It serves as the permit to bury the dead. I called my mother, and I told her about the situation. She was so mad at first but since it was one of the requirements we don't have any choice to have it processed. What is worse is that it was already Friday and the time is very limited and we all know that there will be a long line at City Hall. My mother's blood pressure shoot up. My Collector, Ate Nilda offered help that she'll join me in City Hall to have it finish immediately.

When I am about to leave to go to my Parents house, Ate Nilda called me and she told me that Ms. Jennie explained to her that it was already included in the receipt for the registration fee of the death certificate. Yes, it was included when I saw the receipt. Imagine the tension that Owen gave to us, knowing that they can't bury my father's remain just because of that permit. Plus the health issues that my mother gone through.

The concern here is that why they didn't even know how they process the papers and the documents needed for the burial when it is their routine work process. They are all inefficient and they are all insensitive of the situation of their clients.


After experiencing so many hassle, we were already cautious that their might have another problem, that's why I kept on reminding Ate Nilda of the burial's schedule and to remind the personnel of Tandang Sora branch. I informed her that the internment is 2:00 PM so St. Peter should be at our parent's house by 1:00 PM.

It seems that they are very consistent in their inefficiency. On the day of the internment, at around past 11:00 AM someone called me from a new number that they are going to be a little bit late. Unknowing of the number I responded to it and communicate with them to know the reason. Suddenly, the St. Peter appear in our door step at around quarter to 12, telling us that they will now have my father's remain carried to Bagbag Cemetery because they have another 2:00 PM schedule. My family and my relatives were all in shock that it is not yet time. They were all pointing at me and telling why I scheduled it that early when everyone knows that it was 2:00 PM. I responded back to them that the schedule is 2:00 PM and I don't know why they are so early. Imagine the commotion that it brought to us. So, immediately I contacted Ate Nilda and their supervisor (I think) Ms. France and informed them of the misunderstanding with the schedule. They agreed to provide another driver for the 1:00 PM schedule of loading my father's remains in the "Caro".

We thought it will go as scheduled. St. Peter assured me that they will be at my parent's house at 12:45 PM to have enough time to load my father's remain in the "Caro" and the travel time going to Bagbag Cemetery. It was already 1:10 PM and all eyes are on me. They were asking where's the St. Peter. So again, I followed-up and texted Ate Nilda and Ms. France. They told me that they informed the driver and personnel handling it. They were 30 minutes late of their assured time of 12:45 PM.

We are all grieving and it was the time that we are all vulnerable. And the saddest part is that they worsen it with stress, tension, and hassle. Why do we have to experience something like this? And it was from a burial services that we thought would give us the ease of taking care of our departed.

The feeling of shame/pity to myself, because I offered St Peter to my family knowing that they have the best services, but the worst experience happened. I don't know how to explain to them plus the fact that it so expensive for my family. Actually, I asked St. Peter if they can give a discount for the hassle, the tension, and the stress they brought to us to at least comfort our feeling, but still they did not provided it. So we pay the total amount of Php33,125.00 and in return the worst experience.

I think St. Peter should check the staff at Tandang Sora branch. Actually, I also suggested that they need to have a checklist and explain everything to their client, it will be a big help and it will ease the process and have good relationship with their clients.

I did this blog so that it will not happen again to their other clients. It will be a lesson learned to my family and to my readers. I think they need not only to check but to have an overhaul of their staff.

Now, I am thinking if I will get again a Life Plan from them. What do you think?

St. Peter Life Plan is one of the known plans here in the Philippines when it comes to insuring your death. An assurance that families of plan holders won't have to worry spending more when the time has come. There's a negative phrase locally saying that "mahal mamatay dito sa Pilipinas" (it's expensive to die in the Philippines), well, it is in fact true because there are too many things that you need to pay. From the time that body is declared dead up to the time of its burial.

My in-laws, my friends and even my past officemate, they all have St. Peter Life Plan. We realized that we really need to secure, at least our burial. So last year, my husband and I decided to avail the plan. We started paying last November 2016. Until last May 12, my father died. It was a painful experience for us and for the whole family.

Out of my love for my father, I talked to my mother and offered my St. Peter Plan to be transferred and be used for my father's burial. Even though most of my siblings wanted our fathers burial be catered by the other funeral services, still I insisted and my mother accepted it.

The plan that I've chosen is St. George with a face value amounting to Php37,500.00. Since the plan is still new and I had only paid Php4,375, we need to pay it in full to be utilized for my father's burial. I explained to my siblings that I heard to some people that I know about the good and efficient services of St. Peter, "maganda at maayos ang services ng St. Peter". No hassle. So, I stick to that belief. Unfortunately that belief was torn into pieces with what St. Peter Tandang Sora Branch did to us. It worsen our grieving.


It was lunch time of May 12, we lost our father. It was a very painful day for our family. Even though at grief I manage to contact my St. Peter agent (Ms. Emms Bautista) and collector (Ate Nilda). I informed them of what had happened and they extended their condolences and help for our family. They did their effort to provide the best services they can offer and made sure that we are taken cared of. We chose St. Peter Tandang Sora Branch, since it is near to us. Unfortunately, the Tandang Sora branch didn't have any available room at that time. The branch informed us that they'll be having an available room a few days after, which is Monday. My mother didn't accept the offered because we will be prolonging the day that we won't be seeing him and besides our relatives and friends would surely want to bid their farewell as well as early as possible. Though they offered the Novaliches Branch we didn't take it because it is way to far from our place.

Without any room to cater the wake of my father, my mother decided to have the wake at their house. To immediately facilitate the wake at their house, I talked to St. Peter and informed them of our decision. I called them and asked for the time they will get my father from the hospital, because my mother heard one of St.Peter client in the same hospital that they called St. Peter to pick the body of their relative in the morning but no St.Peter showed up. So I talked to Tandang Sora branch the experienced of their client and hoping that it won't happen to us. Gladly it's not because they immediately get my father at around 6:30PM of may 12.

May 13, they called us that we need to bring the clothes for my father. We went their around 1230pm. I handed the clothes to a girl that I think doesn't know what she must do because she keeps on asking the guy named Vladimir. She's there so I presumed she's one of the staff but later on I get to know that she's one of the utility personnel. Vladimir talked to me for a while then he approved the form for my father's clothes. I gave him the documents (my St. Peter Life Plan form) and asked him to acknowledge the receipt of the documents by signing on the copy that I have. He posed and ask me why? I told him that you're getting my original Life Plan documents so I need a confirmation that you received the documents. He received it and signed the copy.

I asked him if I still have any documents to fill-out and sign or any fees to pay, he just responded nothing more. I followed a question asking the time my father's body will brought to my parents house. He said that it's 3 hours to prepare the body, dress and whatever things they will do. It's already 1:00 PM that time so we were expecting they brought it at around 4:00 to 5:00 PM.


Around past 5:00 PM still no coffin was brought to my parent's house. I followed-up at 5:30 PM. I don't know who answers, not sure if its France of Jennie, asking me to bring my mother back at their office to fill-up and sign a form. I responded with a different tone asking what. I told her that we went already there when we brought the clothes for my father and asked if there are any forms that we are going to fill out or sign but the respond that we got was nothing. So assumed that everything is all clear. What's worse is that they say my father's body won't be delivered unless we accomplished the form they are referring to. I told them that we've already exerted our effort and my mother is already tired, so it's their job to do theirs. I suggested to her to bring my father's coffin together with the form and we will accomplish at my parent's house. Afterwards the girl started texting me asking for basic information about my father. It was already 6:30 PM finally my father was at their house together with the form so I filled the needed information and let my mother signed it.

May 15, we went to City Hall to register the Death Certificate of my father. This day is another worse hassle that we experience with St. Peter Tandang Sora Branch. The city hall did not accepted the death certificate because the embalmer from St. Peter did not signed the back portion of the certificate of which he was ought to do. The fact that St. Peter Tandang Sora staff should know that already and all the process concerning things like this but it seems they are lacking the efficiency. They didn't even bother to explained those things to us. So, from City hall we immediately went to their branch, talked to Ms. Jennie. She explained that we'll have to wait for the embalmer of which will take an overnight. So in other words we didn't accomplished any on that day.

To be continued on the second part of this blog post.