08/04/2025
I have a friend from high school who worked her way up in one of the top local banks in the country. Driven and passionate, she rose from being a humble associate to becoming a department head in just a few years.
With every promotion, she celebrated her wins by investing in herself—a mid-rise condo in Makati, a sleek European car, and weekend getaways to de-stress. She also started collecting designer bags, one for every milestone. Of course, being financially smart, she made sure to insure all of her assets. Her car? Fully covered. Her condo? Secured. Even her luxury items had protection.
One evening over dinner, I asked her casually, “So, insured na lahat ng gamit mo… pero ikaw? Kailan mo poprotektahan ang sarili mo?” She chuckled and said, “Friend, chill lang. Sa dami ng ginagawa ko, wala pa talaga akong time sa ganyan. Next time na lang.”
I didn’t want to push it. So I dropped it.
She lived the life most people dreamed of. Frequent travels—Japan for cherry blossoms, Korea for K-dramas, Paris for fashion week. She had been to New York, Switzerland, New Zealand, even Iceland. Every holiday was a passport stamp and a memory.
She was the epitome of “living your best life.”
Until one day.
She called in sick. Complained of fatigue, shortness of breath, and palpitations. Initially, she thought it was stress. After all, she had back-to-back meetings and barely any sleep.
But things worsened.
She collapsed in her condo one morning. Her helper found her unconscious and rushed her to the hospital.
Diagnosis: Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Stage 4.
She was 29.
She called me in tears. “Ayoko pang mamatay. Ang dami ko pang gustong gawin…”
I dropped everything and went straight to her bedside. She gripped my hand and said, “Friend… yung insurance na inaalok mo dati… pwede pa ba yun kahit pa paano?”
My heart broke.
“I’m so sorry… hindi na siya pwede ngayon. Pre-existing na ’to. Sana noon pa…”
She was strong. She fought hard. But chemotherapy isn’t cheap. She had to quit work. Her condo was sold. Her car? Gone. Her bags? All auctioned off. Friends organized fundraisers. Her family took loans. Even her travel photos now seemed like a past life.
She battled for a year and a half.
Then she left.
She was one of the most vibrant, joyful people I knew. And she was gone too soon.
That moment changed me. It made me realize—if you truly love someone, don’t wait to speak up. Don’t wait for the “right time.” Sometimes, you have to be that friend who insists—even when it’s inconvenient, even when they brush it off.
Because protecting the people you care about… starts with a simple conversation.
So the next time I ask you, “Kailan mo poprotektahan ang sarili mo?” — don’t shrug it off.
Ask yourself instead: “How much do I love my future? How much do I love my family?”
Ctto
