Always prepare for death

One of the saddest experiences to befall to an immigrant community is the death of one of its members. In a closely-knit group of individuals and families bound by common culture and shared journey, death, though inevitable, always brings collective grief and sense of loss. This feeling of loss is often heightened when death comes at such an unexpected time to an otherwise healthy individual with a young family left behind. As often the case, the affected immigrant community gathers to unite in assisting the immediate needs of the bereaved family and to help one another.

As I have seen in my years of living here in the US, there is no shortage of generous people who are willing to help when someone dies. Various immigrant communities have their ways of lending support --some ad hoc, some more organized and structured. Funeral expenses in the US is very costly. This does not include the cost of transporting the body of the deceased back to the Philippines which could also be expensive. A little help from each member could go a long way in lightening the financial burden of burying a loved one.

So along these lines, one must do careful planning how to arrange funeral services not only for himself but for the rest of the family. Is your financial situation in order? Who do you appoint as the final decision-maker for your funeral arrangements? How do you intend to pay the costs? Have you paid for or set aside a memorial plan? Do you want to donate your body organs? Have you made a will? Have you decided where your final resting place will be? These and a lot more questions should be asked in order for you to carry out your last wishes and also to ease up the emotional trauma of those you left behind.

You may wonder why our topic today is about death. That may sound gloomy but I feel it is important for all of us to know how to process funeral arrangements. Immigrants, especially those who are new to the US often find that this life reality very difficult and complicated. Thus it is very important to have a resource person in the community who knows what they are doing in these kinds of situations. There may be instances where the law enforcement may be involved if it is a criminal death, or the death may be caused by a hospital error, or you want to involve the Philippine Consulate. These are just a few examples highlighting the need to have a coordinated effort by strong and united Filipino communities.