Coffins given away in carcar: ‘Everyone deserves decent burial’

CEBU, Philippines - Free coffins, anyone?

The city government of Carcar is giving away coffins under its free burial services program.

Mayor Nicepuro Apura said the program is intended for indigent residents. Aside from the coffins, the program also includes free burial services for indigent persons as recommended by the chairperson of the barangay.

"Even paupers deserve decent burial," Apura said.

The city mayor shared that it has been his vision ever since he was still a barangay captain that every Carcaranon be given proper burial rites.

Apura recalled that when he was still the vice mayor, he passed a resolution for the local government to appropriate funding for this vision to materialize and be legalized.

Dubbed as "Serbisyo  Alang sa mga Kabos nga Carcaranon" or SAKCAR, the program offers free casket and funeral car service, vigil lights, guest book and stand to recipients.

Apura also said the city will also provide a casing for the casket for it to have a nicer look.

"I wanted to make them feel special even though they have less in life," he said.

In the future, the city will construct an embalming facility so that they could also offer its services for free.

Within the year, under the directive of Apura, niches will be constructed for the Carcaranons final resting place.

"In the near future, when a legitimate Carcaranon dies, everything is taken care of, from the embalming to the wake and finally to burial; that's from womb to tomb," the mayor added.

In order to avail of the service, the beneficiary must be a Carcaranon and must be an indigent.

City information officer Candice Acuña said the beneficiary must also secure a purok clearance.

"Although the first requirement is subject to a case to case basis since there are indigents who die in Carcar but are not Carcaranons," Acuña said. (FREEMAN)