Dying in the Philippines Isn’t Cheap: How to Get Ready for Funerals

Posted on: Nov 18, 2018 Publish By: funerallink

The saddest time in our life is when someone special to us passed away. There is no cure for our grief but time and the comfort of our loved ones. Every 1st of November, we visit the cemetery to clean the grave, light candles and flowers. In the Philippines, we take the time off to visit the grave of our deceased loved ones

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were 582,183 deaths in 2016 which is 21,578 or 3.8 percent increase in the previous year. It shows about 6 deaths in every 1,000 people or 66 deaths per hour or one per minute. In the past 10 years, the number of deaths in the Philippines is increasing or about 32 percent increase between 2006 to 2010.

We can’t predict when we lost someone let alone when we will draw our last breath. Death is certain – it’s inevitable. It is something that we can’t change. The last thing we can do is to have ourselves ready. Although we can’t be emotionally ready, we can be financially ready.

lighting a candle for the soul, funeral home, funeral service

Here are the 10 things you have to get ready during the funeral service:

  1. Funeral service. The first thing the family decides is where to hold the wake or viewing for the family and friends to say their farewell to the deceased. This will cost from Php 15,000 for a simple setup up to hundreds of thousands of pesos depending on the days of viewing and the arrangement.
  2. Burial service. There are not a lot of companies that you can choose, making this a very lucrative business. Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes, for example, has a package that starts at Php 18,000. This includes retrieval from home or hospital, 1-week embalming, processing of the documents, lights and equipment for viewing, and hearse for burial within 25 km. Radius.
  3. Caskets. A simple wooden casket can cost around Php 8,000 from a small funeral parlor. If you like to have an elaborate casket that is made from bronze or gold-decorated casket, it can cost at least a million peso.
  4. Cremation. Regular cremation starts at Php 10,000. If you like finer ash, it will cost about Php 150,000 depending on the providers.
  5. Urn. When you avail of the cremation service, the funeral company often include a regular wooden urn. You may opt to upgrade to more elegant urn like porcelain that goes up to Php 50,000.
  6. Memorial lot. Depending on your location and the memorial park, the public cemetery is budget-friendly. You need to pay for the apartment rentals per year about Php 300 to Php 1,000. Private memorial parks are more expensive that can cost you at least a million.
  7. Crypts. Although some people opt to get one later, you can expect to pay up to Php 25,000 depending on the design, size and the materials used.
  8. Flowers. A small flower can cost just a hundred when you get it in the market. It cost a few thousand in lucrative flower shops. It also depends on the sizes and the type of flowers.
  9. Food and beverages. The funeral is a family affair. Food and beverages are expected to be served. Although many of the visitors bring some food and beverages, you still need to cash out at least Php 10,000 to Php 20,000.
  10. Documents. Depending on the funeral package you will avail, Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes include the processing of death certificate in their package. The advantage is that you don’t have to worry about securing all the documents. You will have more time to focus on what matters the most – grieving and be with your family at this lowest time.

Many of the Filipinos live from paycheck to paycheck. Having a lucrative funeral service is out of the question. However, you can have a decent funeral for your loved one. Here are a few things that you can do:

  1. Get a Pre-Need Funeral Service. You will pay monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual installment for five years or until the insurance expired. A pre-need funeral insurance policy is usually transferable or assignable. Which means, an immediate family member can use the policy when the time comes.
  2. Get a medical insurance. In the Philippines, we may have PhilHealth, the government-run health insurance company. You might want to get a policy from a private insurance company to cover the hospitalization incurred.
  3. Get a funeral plan. Funeral homes offer funeral plans. It will help you from the burden of spending a large amount of money from your savings.
  4. Keep a record. It is nice to have a record of the SSS, PhilHealth, GSIS, PAG-IBIG Fund and other financial/insurance policy the family member has. You can help each other remind to update each policy or account to prevent any problem when the day comes.

We surely can’t stop when death comes and often, it surprises us. What we can do is to at least be ready; prepare on the inevitable. Recovering from financial difficulty seems a lot easier than moving on from losing someone we loved. When it happens, make sure to have your family, close relatives and friends around you as you need their support the most.

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