Author name: Ace Gatcion

YOUR final destination is either at the 10th floor of an apartment-style niche or in a family-owned mausoleum. It’s a choice you have to make now while you are still capable of making decisions; or leave it to your family to decide for you. What if you let your family decide for you? What if it’s you who decide? Here are the five possible scenarios if you don’t prepare:

Our blogs have mentioned Celestial Meadows several times already, and you may be wondering who is Celestial Meadows? This blog will talk about this company. Celestial Meadows Developers Corporation is a developer of memorial gardens and parks in Cebu. It has been in the business for more than two decades with five memorial gardens all over Cebu, the only memorial garden developer in Cebu that has that much projects. From what we have heard the company is expanding as it hopes to offer its services to the entire Cebuano people. From their website https://www.celestialmeadows.net/, Celestial Meadows says it has lawn lots, gardens, estates and columbarium (community vault and ossuary) that its clients can choose from. “A company committed to deliver not just beauty but a heartwarming service experience” is Celestial Meadows’ principle which dates back to the very day it was conceptualized by a Cebuano family. The company is owned by the Cañedos, a family known for its real estate businesses. The preservation of legacy is the company’s assurance to its clients, as it believes that “beauty fades but memories will always stay.” “Celestial Meadows Developers Corporation is a company committed to deliver quality products and services to our stakeholders,” the company said in its website. Celestial Meadows started in Minglanilla over 20 years ago, and to this day, it has now five memorial gardens, and has served thousands of clients not only in Cebu but in the entire country, and even those who are abroad. Over the years Celestial Meadows has excelled in its goal to only provide innovative services and good memories to its clientele. They would no longer be in the business with five growing memorial gardens if they failed even on one aspect. “It is at Celestial Meadows ‘Where Memories Take Seed and Grow’ because of ourculture on entrepreneurial excellence and our people’s characteristic of being innovative,service driven, and solution centric.”

WHAT you buy today for a few thousands can double or even triple in a couple of years. For prices of all commodities, there is no way to go but up. When you want to buy something which you think may come in handy in the future, buy it now. And when you do think of something that will not only be useful but will also let you earn. It’s a double investment. Think of memorial lots. 
 Here are a few reasons why there is a need to invest in memorial lots: 
 1.         You have taken down one less worry in your family. Death is one thing most people don’t want to talk about, but for those who want to prepare, getting a memorial lot just in case, is like saving up for retirement. So, when someone in the family dies, all you need to do is contact your agent for a memorial lot you have already paid for. 
 2.         A good investment. If you have P50,000 sitting in your bank account, that will earn you only a pittance of an interest even if it sits there for many years. But if you use it to buy a memorial lot, it can double or triple in two to three years’ time. Some investors do not just buy memorial lots for their loved ones, they also do it to increase their wealth. 
 3.         For reselling. Memorial lots have high appreciation value, that’s a fact. What you buy for a few thousands today will be worth several thousands in the next years. Hence if you buy a memorial lot today and decide not to use it after five years, you can always resell it, and for a price that’s way beyond what you paid for. 
 4.         For peace of mind. For people who want to prepare for their future, getting a memorial lot is in their to-do list. It’s not like they want to die soon. They just do not want to burden their loved ones when they will go. 
 If you want to invest on memorial lots, Celestial Meadows has several properties all over Cebu. There is one in Minglanilla, Toledo City, Compostela, Moalboal and Naga. For more information visit https://www.celestialmeadows.net/.

IF life insurance can provide financial security during retirement, getting a space at a private memorial garden can be comforting especially if you are someone who likes to plan ahead. While there are still those who are not comfortable getting their own burial lots for future use, it can be worth noting that there is already an increasing demand for pre-paid burial lots. Based on the 2020 records, there was a total of 613,936 deaths in the Philippines, which is equivalent to about six deaths per 1,000 population. From these figures there was an average of 1,677 deaths per day on that year or 70 deaths per hour or one (1.2) death per minute. This tells us that death is a natural thing. This is why buying a memorial lot in advance is as important as saving for old age. And here are the reasons why: 
 1.         Pre-selling burial lots are cheap. Like other real properties memorial lots are cheaper during pre-selling offers. Their price will then double or even triple the moment they start to sell like hotcakes; and more so when they are already ready for use. 2.          It’s not everyday developers make memorial gardens. There are thousands of deaths a day in the Philippines alone yet only a few developers in the country are allowed to make memorial gardens because of the zoning law. There may be open slots today but in the next few months these can be all sold out, ergo if you see cheap available slots, buy them right away because even if they will be making more memorial gardens in the future the price will no longer be the same like it was when you first saw it. You can always resell it if you think you will not need it sooner. 3.         You can choose. While traditionally it is the family that picks the burial ground for their dead loved one, and if it is you you can no longer say no if your family will put you at the topmost portion of an apartment-style niche in a public graveyard. Whereas if you prepare your own burial site early on, you can choose your location, your own space – if you want it to have trees around your little garden, your tombstone and the color of the bench fronting it. If you do that then you can truly have a peaceful rest in a spot you picked for yourself and not in some wobbly niche that will be reopened once your stay has expired. 4.         Peace of mind. When you bought your own burial lot it’s like buying a new home for you and your loved ones. You know that it is yours permanently and no one can remove you from there not like in some public cemeteries where your stay has an expiry. In private memorial gardens your space is yours forever. 
 If you need a burial lot in Cebu, Celestial Meadows has properties in Moalboal, Toledo City, Naga, Minglanilla and Compostela.

IN Egypt during the time of the pharaohs, death is part of their lives. Because to them death immortalizes their life as kings or even as commoners, hence they prepare their deaths long before they die by building burial grounds and tombs that even up to this day are still around being marveled by the entire world. The ancient Egyptians have succeeded in immortalizing their lives through these burial grounds. 
 The same is also true here in the Philippines, whose former occupants were also very particular with how their remains should be immortalized. In Sagada, for example, the old Sagada people hanged their dead loved ones on the face of the mountains. They did it for the dead to be closer to the heavens and far from the animals, which used to cannibalize the dead. They did it to preserve the bodies of the people they cared. It was a tradition popularly practiced many years ago, although not everyone who died got the same privilege. According to a tour guide of Sagada, only those chosen by their tribe were allowed to be placed with the mountains citing the tradition as sacred. Those who did not fall for the category were placed inside the caves. This may not be as important as being placed in the mountains but hiding the dead inside the cave was also considered solemn. Up to this day, visitors can still see the old coffins inside these caves most of them dates back to more than 500 years or before Christianity was introduced in the Philippines. More than five centuries have gone yet the coffins are still there like they were just placed or hanged just recently. The ancient Sagada people, despite the absence of technology back then, succeeded in preserving their dead for everyone to see many centuries after. 
 These old traditions are gone, as not all areas have mountains for the dead to be hanged or deserts to build pyramids for tombs; this is why to preserve the legacy of the dead developers have created memorial gardens. In these memorial gardens are the mausoleums, which are the modern-day pyramids where members of the family can be entombed during death. These can be their second home where they can all stay in one place, forever. There is also the garden burial ground for those who would want to be with nature with their epitaph speaks of how they lived their lives and how they want to be remembered, similar to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, where all the important people were buried. To those who want a more solemn resting place, there is the cremation process where the ashes are placed in a vault properly labeled and preserved. 
 However one wants to be remembered, the process, like in the ancient Egyptian and Sagada ways, does not happen on the day of their death. It is well-planned, and skillfully prepared, the same way the old folks did during their time. 
 To know more about the modern-day Valley of the Kings and the pyramid-like entombment, visit Celestial Meadows. They have at least five locations all over Cebu. 

CELESTIAL MEADOWS DEVELOPERS CORPORATION supports the relaunching of Kabataan Kontra Droga At Terorismo (KKDAT) Compostela Chapter led by its president Gayelord Bermejo. 
 This collaboration between CMDC and KKDAT Compostela Chapter aims to support the nationwide movement of empowering the students and youth sectors as partners of government in the nationwide campaign against illegal drugs through PNP’s Recovery and Wellness Program and anti-terrorism through E.O 70.  
 The vision of this nationwide advocacy initiatives of the PNP is to inflame the SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM among youth and students sectors through the PCR platforms and programs. 
 Celestial Meadows always believes in the capacity of the young people to propel the local community into something far better than what it presently is. As proof of this a huge portion of Celestial Meadows’ workers are young people. 
 This is not the first time that the company has partnered with youth-oriented programs – a legacy that it has been known for. Every year Celestial Meadows has been giving its support to projects and programs initiated by the local governments and private sectors all over Cebu. Celestial Meadows is banking on the fact that when you involve the youth in meaningful programs you are assured of a better future not only for them but also for the community.

Before buying a memorial lot, know these important things. 1. Your budget You need to consider your budget first before buying a memorial lot, so you can choose which package that’s within your means. Note that there are installment plans for whatever type of memorial package you may want to get. Your agent can lay down options for you to choose from. Also take not that memorial lots are costly for instant use. Those who are aware of this buy them early to avail of huge discounts and savings. 2. The type of memorial lot So you want to buy a memorial lot for you or your family but you don’t know what type of lot inventory that fits you. In public cemeteries there are only two choices: an apartment-type or in a lawn lot either way you cannot choose which part you want to be placed as it is a first-come, first-served basis. In private memorial gardens, there are different inventories of memorial lot which have different sizes, capacities, designs and others. For one, there is the lawn lot which can accommodate two remains. There are also the garden lots where you can place raised niches for up to 10 remains. Then there’s the family estate or the mausoleums, which are house-like structures where you can place your loved ones inside protected from the rain and all elements. There is also the columbarium which is for the urns containing the ashes of the cremated remains. 3. There is no title for memorial lots Unlike most real properties, memorial lots have no titles. Although the entire memorial garden has a mother title, the small cuts sold to clients will have certificates of ownership which are valid and considered as proofs of ownership. Once you have paid up the property you will be given a proof of ownership which you can show to the developer when you will have a need of your property. The developer also keeps a record of your name in its database as another proof that you own such property. 
 4. Know the developer Before giving your money make sure that the company you are entrusting it to is legitimate. Check if it is stable and if it has a long track record in the business. Always go for developers with various materialized projects such as Celestial Meadows, which presently has five memorial parks all over Cebu. 
 5. The Location Of course you want to be laid close to home so you will be choosing a memorial garden that’s within your locality. All Cebu towns and cities have their own public cemeteries but not all have private memorial gardens. If your place has no private cemeteries yet, you can opt for what is nearest. Celestial Gardens has memorial parks in Minglanilla, Naga, Toledo City, Compostela and Moalboal. 
 6. Security and maintenance Another important thing to consider when purchasing a memorial lot is the security of the property and its upkeep. Note that lootings are common in memorial gardens, public and private; there are also individuals that live in the supposed homes for the dead. This is happening everywhere. If you do not want that kind of scene, check the developer if it has a good track record of maintaining security and maintenance in its properties. Celestial Meadows for one provides a round-the-clock security to its memorial gardens, and ensures that all its properties are well-maintained. 

Filipinos go abroad to provide for their family. Everyone living in the Philippines know who lives in a big house. “Ah, seaman!” A few will say, “Mayor yan!” Because politicians don’t normally live among their people. They live with their kind. So, if Filipinos want to have a big house, they either become politicians or they go abroad. We’ve listed here the top 5 best investment opportunities for Overseas Filipino Workers: 1.         Real estate properties. If you are an OFW and you have extra cash, invest it right away in real properties. What are these real properties? 
 House and lot. Go for pre-selling deals so you can get them cheap. If you don’t want to live in your house and just want to invest your money, go for properties outside the cities. They’re cheaper than most sold in the urban areas. 
 Condominium units. These are also fast-moving items in the real property industry. Buy one if you can afford. Some pre-selling units are for less than P20,000 every month, there are P8,000.00 in provinces. You can either live in them, sell them or rent them out. 
 Memorial lots. These are one of the real estate investments of which value does not depreciate. If you purchase a lawn lot for P20,000 this year, the value of it can increase by at least 15 percent every year. Those who have extra money invests in memorial lots not only for their own use in the future but for more returns of their hard-earned money.  If you are looking for a memorial garden where you can invest in, go to Celestial Meadows, a trusted developer based in Cebu. 
 2.         Online Business. Some OFWs are buying items from their host countries and sell them in the Philippines through Facebook. This is also one of the ways to earn big bucks, you only need to know what items are cheap and saleable to your market. You can always start small and expand when your market is growing. Based on today’s online selling business insights, high-end mobile phones, branded ladies’ bags, jewelry pieces, fashionable clothes and shoes are hot items. If you are starting small, go for RTWs, pre-loved goods, chocolates or whatever cheap yet popular brands in your area. Then sell them to the Philippines. 
 3.         Small Lending Business. This is one of the easiest ways to earn money even while doing a full-time job abroad. You only need money and a logbook for recording to do it. 
 Pros: It’s easy as fund transfer can be done online. It gives better interest than banks. Even if you slap a 2% interest per month, that is still way higher than bank’s 1% per annum. Cons: There is no 100% assurance that you can get back all your money, especially if you don’t check who you are lending it to. Recommendation: You can always ask for a collateral just in case your borrower fails to pay you up. Although this can be tricky if you are both living from a distant. 
 4.         Franchise. A milktea business, a kiosk coffee shop, a pandesal stall – these are just a few of the business franchises which are about P100,00 or below. If you have someone at home who you can trust with the business, this may be a good start for you. 
 5.         Bayad Center. You can set up your online payment center even if you are abroad. Most Philippine utilities accept payments from G-cash, Paymaya, Paypal, credit card and bank transfer – things that you can do even from far away. And how you will do it? You assign a member of your family to collect the money from your neighbor, for example, who wants pay their bill to you. You can add up a service fee – that’s where you will earn money from. If you have, say, 20 neighbors who will use your services, and you charge P50 for each one, then you have P1,000 just for 1 day. 
 These are just a few of the investment opportunities perfect for those who are working abroad. If you are investing in real estate, time flies before you know it you already own a condo unit in Manila, or a family mausoleum in Cebu.