RP funeral practitioners aim for global standards

The mortuary practitioners in the Philippines have joined hands to uplift the standard of services in the Philippine Mortuary Industry and be at par with world standards.

The ongoing first ever National Mortuary Trade Show held at the Panorama Heights in Nivel Hills this city, is one of the steps the stakeholders are now taking to professionalize the mortuary service in the Philippines, which are mostly managed by small operators.

The show which opened on April 19 and will conclude today was aimed at educating over 200 participants on the new services, products, trends on the industry, and to introduce the Pacific Center for Advanced Studies (PCAS), a school dedicated to provide professional know-how for players in the funeral industry.

The show is organized by PCAS and the Philippine Mortuary Association (PMA). Aside from showcasing the various products and services available for the funeral or mortuary industry, the show also provided seminars and foras conducted by foreign mortuary professionals, like Jeffrey Chancellor, a certified funeral service practitioner in the United States.

According to PCAS president Sarah Dychangco, there is a need for the Philippine mortuary industry to climb up in terms of professionalism in operations, as well as standard in providing services.

Although, she said that the government has regulations to push higher standard of service in the industry, players have to execute it sincerely in implementing higher standard and professionalism in providing services to the customers.

Thus, Dychangco said PCAS, together with the PMA is planning to hold the trade show and convention every year.

There are about five to six thousand funeral homes around the country, about a thousand of which are larger players, like those that have one-stop-shop facilities, like shop for wide selection of casket, embalming services, among others.

"The funeral industry is one of the most misconstrued business in the Philippines and that there's a need to change the perception by taking concrete steps into the art and science of funeral. There is indeed a great demand in funeral profession," Dychangco said whose family owned the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes which for 55 years able to expand to 16 branches.

According to Dychangco, PCAS has acknowledged that globalization has not only affected businesses that are considered to be mainstream. Today, mortuaries have greater responsibility to its clients who reside here and to those who live or work in foreign lands. Complete documents are required to pass the regulations stipulated by air and shipping lines as well as country or port of destination. Further, proper embalming process must be followed.

PCAS is the first training center of its kind in the Philippines and Asia that aims to provide education and training specializing in embalming and restorative art. It is equipped with lecture rooms and library for students and trainees who are interested to learn the art and science in funeral profession as well as its practical application in mortuary operations. The training center is a good avenue for career enrichment.