In Filipino culture, death and dying are often sensitive subjects that many prefer not to discuss. Instead, the focus tends to be on celebrating life and longevity, leaving end-of-life conversations unaddressed.
Forest Lake, a prominent name in the memorial park industry, is tackling this discomfort with a refreshing touch of humor. Their latest digital ad, “Paliwanag,” uses wit and cultural references to open up conversations about death in a lighter, more relatable way.
The ad plays on a familiar Filipino police catchphrase, “magpaliwanag ka sa presinto,” used when bringing offenders to the station. In a humorous twist, when a man is apprehended and asked to explain himself, he takes the phrase literally, beginning to glow in front of astonished police officers.
By blending humor and cultural context, Forest Lake’s “Paliwanag” ad encourages viewers to rethink their perceptions of memorial parks and the often avoided discussions around death.
The play on words is an unexpected twist, illustrating how, like death, we never really know what’s ahead of us. The video humorously addresses how death is something that may catch us off guard, but stresses on how preparing for it can ease the burden imposed on loved ones when the time comes. Similarly, when we are faced with death, many of us end up like the suspect in the video, unsure of how to explain ourselves and express how we feel. These two main messages reflect the core lesson of the video: that yes, death is inevitable, but it doesn’t need to be burdensome. With the right preparation, such as availing of the services offered by Forest Lake, the difficulties that lie ahead can be more manageable and less confusing for families left behind.
For Alfred Xerez-Burgos III, President and CEO of Forest Lake Development Inc., the video sends a message about how we must treat the concept of death. For Xerex-Burgos, it is indeed something worth discussing, and because of its unpredictability, something worth preparing for.
“Death is something we all face, but it doesn’t have to be something we must all fear,” said Xerez-Burgos. “At Forest Lake, we help families prepare so they can focus on what really matters—celebrating life and preserving memories. With wit and humor, we hope to remind Filipinos that confronting the issue of death isn’t an encumbrance; it’s an act of care for our loved ones. Thus, our ‘Paliwanag’ video strives to shine a light on how important preparation is.”
Forest Lake also hopes that the conversations generated by the ad will spur Filipinos to start taking memorial services seriously no matter how early. To those who relish their peace of mind, Forest Lake offers a multitude of services that will help make end-of-life planning less stressful and ensure their dearly departed’s transition to a life beyond. Among these are Forest Lake’s ‘Libing Anywhere’ option, which offers the flexibility to use memorial lots in any Forest Lake park across the nation, and ‘Libre Burol,’ which provides free funeral services with internment.
With its innovative, personalized, and customer-centric approach, Forest Lake seeks to continue making memorial care more convenient and stress-free for its clients, who will never be caught off guard when the moment comes.
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