Nestor Oliva Ilao used to write love letters to his wife, Miriam. He liked the intimacy of writing a letter, a habit he started when he was just courting her, which he kept on until they started a family blessed with three daughters and a son.
Miriam Alfonso Ilao remembered vividly, “He would send me letters on special occasions, such as Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and anniversaries. He also wrote letters to our children – letters filled with encouragement, guidance, and love,” she said.
On May 2017, Mang Nestor prepared his final will and letter. Enclosed with it is a claim to his Sun Life insurance plan, stipulating a sum of money to be given to his wife. The letter reads, in part:
“Mommy, kung mababasa mo ito, ibig sabihin, wala na ako. Sana sapat itong iiiwan ko sa’yo. (Mommy, if you’re reading this, it means I have passed on. I hope what I’ve left is sufficient for you).”
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At a young age, he was gifted with a natural affinity for people and a strong entrepreneurial streak. He has always wanted to put up a business. He started by selling Sweepstakes tickets in Alabang, and at one point befriended some movie stars living there. He also sold other wares, like cigarettes, furniture, and fruits.
Later, by hard work and perseverance, he was able to put up a small bakery. He would wake up in the wee hours of the morning and come home at midnight. Nevertheless, he remained a committed family man.
“He was a loving and sweet husband,” Mrs. Ilao explained, when asked about Mang Nestor. “We would regularly attend masses on Sundays, and he’d take the children to dine out afterwards. He also loved helping out other relatives and kin.”
Rochelle Ilao, Mang Nestor’s second daughter, described her late father as a very industrious man.
“Before we had a bakery, he worked on many odd jobs to support our schooling in private school. But even if he was busy with business, Daddy never neglected his family. He always made time for everyone. Sometimes, he would call me and my other sisters at work, checking in on us. That’s how he was,” she said.
Rochelle would eventually take after his father’s qualities – her love of communicating and working with people led her to become a Sun Life financial advisor. “I told Daddy that I got those traits from him, and I didn’t want to be holed up inside an office,” she said.
Later, Rochelle approached his father about getting a Sun Life retirement and insurance plan. She understood how deeply his father loved his family.
“I talked to him about getting his own plan,” Rochelle said. “I told him that the money he would invest is a small sum compared to what he would get if he got sick and hospitalized.”
“At first, he didn’t like it. He thought it was a liability that will just drain the money he needed to run his business. But my mother and I explained to him the importance of saving up,” she said.
On August 2017, after months of visiting doctors, undergoing medical examinations for his hypertension, and securing the needed paperworks, Mang Nestor received the approval and confirmation for his Sun Life plan. At 50, he was a bonafide Sun Life insurance holder.
“Ayan ha. May iiwan na ako sa inyo (Now, I have something to leave you behind),” Mang Nestor said.
Rochelle described how happy his father was when the plan was approved. “He was overjoyed. He thought that if he had something he could leave behind, it was his insurance plan. He would tell his friends about it, encouraging them to get one for their own families as well.”
Three months later, on October 2017, Mang Nestor collapsed at the door of his home in Laguna. He was rushed to the hospital. The doctors tried to revive him and failed. He was later declared dead. Diagnosis: cardiac arrest. His family was devastated.
“We didn’t expect that at such an age, Daddy would already pass on from hypertension since he used to take medications for it,” Mrs. Ilao said.
Rochelle was worried at first that they might not get an approval for the claim since they’ve only paid once – their quarterly contribution before Mang Nestor’s death. For months, she held on to his late father’s letter for her mom because she wanted to give it to her along with the check from Sun Life.
“I cried so much when I received the email confirmation from Sun Life,” Rochelle said. “I could finally give Daddy’s letter to Mommy.”
“I miss him so much,” Mrs. Ilao said about her late husband. “He dearly loved me and our family, and he wanted me to feel secure.”
Rochelle said they used the money from Mang Nestor’s insurance to continue his father’s business. Half of it, they reinvested for her mother’s own Sun Life retirement and insurance plan.
“It’s Mommy who wanted it in the first place,” she said.
“I wouldn’t want to leave my children and grandchildren bereft of anything when I pass on. When the time comes that I’ll meet my husband again, I know he’ll tell me it’s what he wanted me to do,” Mrs. Ilao said.
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Even after he has passed, Mang Nestor continues to take care of his family through the Sun Life plan he prepared for their future. Sun Life is a proud witness of his undying love for his family and will continue to be a lifetime partner for the Ilao family.
To read Mang Nestor’s full letter to Mrs. Ilao, read Rochelle Ilao’s viral Facebook post:
For more information about Sun Life’s products and other stories, visit Sun Life’s website and YouTube channel.
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