With the pandemic comes the untimely passing of people close to our hearts. There are no words to describe the grief, yet like any other event, that peaceful journey to the light comes with a to-do list, which needs to be fulfilled.
There were probably moments in the past, or during this pandemic, when you had to arrange a wake or a funeral. It is no easy task, especially, when you are still coping with the pain.
We all want to honor our loved ones as they move on. Unfortunately, no amount of preparation can ease the emotional difficulty that comes with the unfortunate event.
Just before the holidays, St. Peter hosted a webinar to launch the eStore. The fun exchange featured actor Luis Manzano, host Cara Eriguel, and guest online personalities Janica Nam Floresca and Jay Miranda talking about their life plans, bucket lists, and YOLO, an acronym for “you only live once,” which simply means making the most out of the current moment.
Luis humorously added that aside from YOLO, equally important is “YODO,” an acronym for “you only die once.” He describes it as the “the extro of your life. When that day comes, gusto ko everything must fall into place the way it should.” (In broadcasting ‘extro’ refers to the message at the end of an episode).
Cara further explained, “Our purpose in life is to leave something beautiful and kind in the world. You want your exit, your extro, the ending of your movie which is your life, to be beautiful and kind.”
St. Peter’s eStore aims to ease the difficulties of grieving loved ones. The online portal allows customers to purchase pre-need life plans and cremation plans. And just like any online shopping portal, buyers can choose from several payment options, and even track and update their purchases.
“We recognized the need to engage our plan holders and reach prospective clients in the digital space, and one way to do this is to launch an online store that will cater to our customers. The goal of the St. Peter Group is to help and make it easy for the Filipino Family to plan ahead so that they can enjoy life more, thus, the creation of St. Peter eStore. With St. Peter, we always live by our commitment to serving our clients fully with integrity, excellence, and compassion,” explains St. Peter Life Plan SVP & COO Jonathan Vitangcol.
St. Peter’s life plan was established in 1970. While the plan is still sold by agents, the e-store is the company’s way of adapting to the “new normal” as customers’ expectations and preferences have changed during the pandemic.
“The site has a variety of important features and functions to support our agents in selling and marketing to the digital market segment. It’s our way to further empower our sales team to help the Filipino family plan ahead by inviting them to visit the eStore,” he said.
Before purchasing a plan make sure to click the “How to buy” tab which clearly specifies the required documents and identification cards for the purchase. First-timers will also be asked to create an account.
Vitangol further emphasized that the plans are anti-inflationary. “What you buy now is the same plan you will use in the future.”
The plans are also transferable, assignable, and available in easy installments. St. Peter President and Chief Operating Officer Victor Jose Tancinco joked that the company’s product digitalization is a bit too late.
“Walmart in the U.S. has been selling coffins online. Naunahan na tayo,” he says in jest.
The company has been very vigilant in adapting to the changing times. They were the very first to offer eBurol, the 24-hour real-time online viewing, and E-Libing, video memorialization service of the interment.
In the past, customers even selected memorial chapels by taking the virtual tour on their website.
Check out their e-commerce site, https://www.stpeter.com.ph/, and follow them on their official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stpeterlifeplanandchapels.