I cannot help but still feel this pain and anger. I try not to cry and just move on but it is very impossible as of this moment. Just recently, January 4, 2022, we learned that our WEDDING COORDINATOR passed away. He passed away last December 24, 2021 and his burial was January 2, 2022. We were so worried of the news because our wedding is fast approaching on April 30, 2022. Probably the most exact reason why we got this news very late is the difficult internet connection and almost 3 weeks of no electricity caused by the Typhoon Odette or Rai.
As soon as we got the news, we looked for clients or couples who are also worried for their upcoming wedding like us. We tried our best to connect to them so that Grace and I could get enough information on how we will go about this now. So we found the Facebook Group created by one of the unserved clients and a group chat in Messenger.
In this group chat, we learned that the life partner/ stylist of FIAB (Flower in a Box - Cebu) was willing to meet all the unserved couples to answer all our questions regarding our upcoming events. We found a little light or hope because of this. Grace and I never met him before but he was introduced by our wedding coordinator as his “Business Partner”. Grace and I knew about this because I asked our Wedding Coordinator about him during the signing of contract where his name can be seen.
January 05, 2022. We, the unserved couples, and the FIAB Team headed by the “Business Partner” were scheduled to meet in a cafe. I was getting very uneasy because they scheduled a meeting at 1PM but they came very late at 1:45PM.
Anyway, when the “Business Partner” arrived he immediately started his speech. He first introduced his name, admitted that he was a Lived-in Partner of our wedding coordinator and discussed his job description at FIAB. Then, he opened the brown envelop, took some photocopied documents of the Business Permit and said, “FIAB is a sole proprietorship of Praise John Inventor Panaguiton, I am not his Business Partner, and I have no idea of all the transactions of FIAB!” In other words, he meant that he is not LIABLE of all the responsibilities and obligations of the FIAB. This made us all angry.
I asked him if he was aware that his name was in the contract and he said that he was but it doesn’t mean that he is a business partner. He even pointed out that he did not sign a single contract so that means he is out of all these obligations.
Another couple asked him what will happen to all the unserved clients now that our wedding coordinator is dead but he just said that he has no idea about this. He also added that the ATM Cards of his late boyfriend was already handed to his family in Negros.
Another couple also asked what was the statement of Praise John’s family in Negros, but he said that the family has no idea about the FIAB. He also added that the whole family is still greaving right now and they wanted to be alone as a family.
We understand how the family is feeling right now, but we also cannot dismiss to feel worried about our situation. There are couples whose wedding schedules are in January and February, and they have already paid the whole wedding package price but no single wedding supplier was paid.
The distressed clients of the FIAB, made a spreadsheet where the couples can fill out their names, the date of the wedding, and the amount of payment they have already given to the FIAB and it already amounts to more than 4 Million pesos! In our case, we have already paid 85,000.00 PHP.
We were all stressed out because the money that we have saved to have a good and beautiful wedding is gone. We have skipped eating out to restaurants and cancelled trips, and even uninstalled Shopee, Lazada, Food Panda and many more just to save up.
WHAT WE WILL DO
Right now, the distressed clients of the FIAB, are looking for another Wedding Coordinators so that the scheduled wedding date will be pushed through. Although, it will double our expenses, we are still committed to giving ourselves a good and beautiful wedding that we dreamt of.
Also, we are collecting evidences to file a legal complaint to the FIAB and to the "Business Partner" who denied that he is not aware of all the transactions of the FIAB. We are clamoring for justice!
Personally, I already posted this case in my Facebook account to inform and gain audience in hopes that this case will be investigated by Raffy Tulfo or Jessica Soho TV Shows.
We cannot just put this aside. We cannot just let this slide. We want justice!
If you want help us with this battle pls help us share this links:
- https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=7081714888513020&set=a.526561937361714
- https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=7196389250379057&set=a.474508709233845
WHAT DID I LEARN
They say that we learn best from our mistakes. But, what did I do wrong? We were a good payor and we followed the contract. They cannot blame us for this. We are victims here. So, what I learn from this experience is to being brave and resilient.
We need to be brave enough to fight for what is right and just. Let us not tolerate these kind of things. Fighting back is not wanting for war, it is the searching for peace the of mind. We also need to be resilient in times like this. We need to stand up when we stumble and fall. Falling is always part of the game of life just as rising up.
Grace and I still want to have a good and beautiful wedding despite what happened. We want to make it very special and memorable for the two of us so, we decided to move forward and find another coordinator to help us achieve it. I am hoping and praying that this time we will no longer face unwanted mishaps along the way. But I know that the love we have for each other will give us strength to continue.
