Latest news with #sacrifice
The Independent
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Couple wades through knee-deep water to marry in flooded church as Typhoon Wipha lashes Philippines: ‘It's a test'
A Filipino couple didn't let a typhoon deter them from celebrating their wedding day. Despite knee-high water flooding their church, Filipino couple Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar decided to go ahead with their scheduled wedding. The couple exchanged their vows on Tuesday in front of friends and family inside the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos in Bulacan province, according to reports. The church had flooded after relentless rains, intensified by Typhoon Wipha, swept across the region as part of a deluge that submerged large swathes of the Philippines. The couple had anticipated the risk but refused to let it derail their plans. 'We just mustered enough courage,' Mr Verdillo told the Associated Press. 'We decided today because it is a sacrifice in itself. But there will [be] more sacrifices if we don't push through today.' Ms Aguilar glided down the aisle in a flowing white gown, her train trailing across the water, as Mr Verdillo stood waiting at the altar, solemn and proud in his traditional Barong Tagalog – a traditional Filipino formal garment worn by men. They have been together for ten years. The pictures from the wedding showed guests with rolled-up trousers wading through knee-deep water. Inside the flooded Barasoain Church, pews stood partially submerged as friends and family sat with water lapping at their ankles. The groom said: 'I feel that challenges won't be over. It's just a test. This is just one of the struggles that we've overcome.' The photos also captured the bride's train floating on the water, a child offering flowers barefoot, and guests smiling through the flood. Despite the storm, family and friends waded through floodwaters inside the church to attend the ceremony. 'You will see love prevailed because even against weather, storm, rains, floods, the wedding continued,' said Jiggo Santos, a wedding guest. 'It's an extraordinary wedding.' On 30 July 2023, another Filipino couple, Dianne Victoriano and Paulo Padilla, were also married in the flood-hit Barasoain Church, wading through ankle-deep water to exchange vows. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, more than 80,000 people remain in emergency shelters following weekend floods and landslides that killed at least three people.
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Man works 20 hours a day with one day off a week to chase financial freedom, asks locals, 'Is this sacrifice really worth it?'
SINGAPORE: How far would you go to achieve financial freedom? For one man, the answer appears to be working nearly 20 hours a day across two full-time jobs, with just one day of rest a week! In a Reddit post, the man shared that he has been juggling a night shift from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., followed immediately by a morning job from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. He has maintained this routine for the past three months in a bid to clear his debts, build an emergency fund, and begin investing. According to him, this decision was not made lightly. He explained, 'I didn't see any chance of getting a job that pays S$4 to S$5k, let alone hitting the S$10k mark with just one job, so I'm working two jobs to beat that ceiling.' The man said that while he does feel very proud every time he receives his pay cheque (or rather, pay cheques), his body feels battered and 'running on low battery.' 'When I look in the mirror, I honestly look like I have cancer, pale, exhausted, just like a zombie,' he wrote. 'I feel drained all the time. My heart is starting to show signs of palpitations and stress. I barely have a social life anymore.' At the end of his post, the man asked other members of the Reddit community: 'Is this sacrifice really worth it? Has Singapore really become like this? Two Jobs, No Life! Is this what success feels like, or am I crazy? For those who've been through something similar, how do you cope?' he continued. 'Am I making the right choice?' 'Success amounts to nothing when your health suffers.' Under the man's post, many expressed that they were quite alarmed by his gruelling schedule and suggested that he scale back on his hustle and just focus on one job. Many told the man that his physical and mental health should always, always take precedence over everything else, even financial stability. One individual commented, 'Wait, what—where's the sleep? Bro, I get the financial stress, but that's not success at all. That's just waiting for your body to fail – and fail big. 'Stretch your body like that, and whatever 'success' you earnt will be wiped out instantly through bills and a poor quality of life. It's just not worth it. Drop one job, focus on resting up, and then think about how you can earn more with one job.' Another wrote, 'I think it's time to build some skills so that you can live off just 1 job and maybe have a side hustle if you want. Tearing down your body with no rest is a surefire way to screw up your health, which you cost you in medical bills and earning potential if it turns into something chronic.' A third added, 'I think success amounts to nothing when your health suffers and you can't enjoy what you worked hard towards. Since you have no debt, I think focus on upskilling and increase the salary for one of the jobs. Get rest and sleep.' Is the hustle culture a bad thing? The hustle culture isn't inherently harmful, but scientists have warned that pushing ourselves too hard for too long can have negative effects on our physical health. An article published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health revealed that working more than 11 hours a day is linked to a threefold increase in the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and nearly a fourfold increase in the risk of developing non-insulin-dependent diabetes (type 2 diabetes), compared to a standard workday. Additionally, working 60 hours or more per week is associated with almost a threefold higher risk of disability retirement. Furthermore, short sleep durations are linked to a greater risk of coronary heart disease, increased sympathetic nervous system activity, and elevated blood pressure and heart rate. Perhaps most alarming is the combination of long working hours and inadequate sleep. The article mentioned that individuals who work 61 hours or more per week and sleep for five hours or less per night are at least twice as likely to suffer an acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Read also: 'Am I asking for too much?': Woman feels unloved as BF insists on going 50/50 for everything Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
CNN
3 days ago
- Climate
- CNN
Wet wedding ‘just a test': Filipino couple ties knot in flooded church during typhoon
Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar were determined to walk down the aisle on their wedding day. Even if it meant walking down a flooded one. On Tuesday, the Barasoain church in Malolos, Bulacan province, Philippines, flooded due to heavy rain. Typhoon Whipa had intensified seasonal monsoon rains in the Philippines, bringing widespread flooding. The couple anticipated the risk of flooding, but instead of letting the weather dampen the mood, they decided to push through, as all marriages have their challenges. 'We just mustered enough courage,' said Verdillo. 'We decided today because it is a sacrifice in itself. But there will more sacrifices if we don't push through today.' Aguilar waded down the aisle with her white dress and wedding train floating behind her through waters almost up to her knees. At the altar, Verdillo was waiting to receive her while wearing an embroidered shirt called a Barong Tagalog, worn during special occasions. The newlyweds have been together for 10 years. The groom said, 'I feel that challenges won't be over. It's just a test. This is just one of the struggles that we've overcome.' Despite the turbulent weather, some family and friends made it to the wedding. 'You will see love prevailed because even against weather, storm, rains, floods, the wedding continued,' said Jiggo Santos, a wedding guest. 'It's an extraordinary wedding.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Photos show a Filipino couple walking down a flooded aisle on their wedding day
Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar were determined to walk down the aisle on their wedding day. Even if it meant walking down a flooded one. On Tuesday, the Barasoain church in Malolos, Bulacan province, Philippines flooded due to heavy rain. Typhoon Whipa had intensified seasonal monsoon rains in the Philippines, bringing widespread flooding. The couple anticipated the risk of flooding, but instead of letting the weather dampen the mood, they decided to push through, as all marriages have their challenges. 'We just mustered enough courage,' said Verdillo. 'We decided today because it is a sacrifice in itself. But there will more sacrifices if we don't push through today.' Aguilar waded down the aisle with her white dress and wedding train floating behind her through waters almost up to her knees. At the altar, Verdillo was waiting to receive her while wearing an embroidered shirt called a Barong Tagalog, worn during special occasions. The newlyweds have been together for 10 years. The groom said, 'I feel that challenges won't be over. It's just a test. This is just one of the struggles that we've overcome.' Despite the turbulent weather, some family and friends made it to the wedding. 'You will see love prevailed because even against weather, storm, rains, floods, the wedding continued,' said Jiggo Santos, a wedding guest. 'It's an extraordinary wedding.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Tel Aviv installation commemorates fallen Israeli soldiers
STORY: :: An installation in Tel Aviv commemorates Israeli soldiers who have died since October 7, 2023 :: Tel Aviv, Israel :: July 21, 2025 :: Marcy Tatelbaum, Mother of a fallen Israeli soldier "We came to this amazing initiative here today where there's a chair for every soldier that has fallen since October 7th. And our son is one of the soldiers who fell on June 28, 2024, in Gaza. He was a tank commander. And we're here basically to remember the sacrifice that all of these soldiers have given for this country, our beloved country, and what they have done so that we could continue living here and grow and thrive and hopefully continue as a people.״ People walking past the chairs lingered to look at the photos, located in Tel Aviv's hottest spot for summer tourists and sea and sport-loving Israelis. The installation was initiated by Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and the Foreign Ministry with the aim of "commemorating those who sacrificed their lives so the lives of so many other Israelis could go on," said a representative of the Diaspora Affairs Ministry. Solve the daily Crossword
