Makabayan bloc wants discounted, free funeral services for poor

MANILA, Philippines — In time for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, the Makabayan bloc is pushing for the approval of House Bill 5753, which will grant free or discounted funeral services to indigent and extremely poor families.

HB 5753, authored by House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Women’s Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel, stated that in the Philippines, “dying has become as costly as living itself.”

“This is because most Filipinos already live lives of utter poverty and still die poor and indebted until the end. Funeral services generally are expensive, a stark and difficult reality confronting the large majority of impoverished Filipinos,” the bill said.

The measure proposes that mortuaries granting discounted or free services may seek reimbursement from the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Also, local government units will have to waive fees and charges which include burial or interment permit, cremation permit, transfer permit, disinterment permit and the cost of the death certificate.

On the other hand, Deputy Speaker and Cebu 5th District Rep. Vincent Franco Frasco is proposing the regulation of the sale of caskets by establishments to ensure the “availability of affordable decent caskets.”

In filing HB 102, Frasco said caskets have become very expensive, “hence an added burden to the grief-stricken families, not to mention the indigent and extremely poor.”

Depending on materials used, coffins cost around P5,000 to P110,000.

Frasco is proposing that all funeral establishments “at all times maintain available decent caskets with a price of not more than P20,000.”