Quezon City's poor to get burial aid

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City (QC) government has signed an agreement with funeral homes to provide funeral assistance to its poor residents.

Mayor Herbert Bautista and Rep. Jorge Banal signed the agreement last week with representatives of Wyn, St. Mark de San Juan, Tajuna, Bonita, Loyola Memorial, St. Peter Life Plan, St. James Memorial, St. Ignatius and Santiago Funeral Homes.

Under the agreement, poor QC residents are entitled to a funeral assistance not exceeding P3,000. No cash assistance will be provided, except for certificates of guarantee to be issued by the QC social services development department.

Earlier, Bautista also signed an agreement with members of the QC Mortuary Association Inc. to provide funeral services amounting to P6,500 for adults and P3,500 for children, including provisions for casket, retrieval of body from place of death of those who died from natural causes, five-day embalming and use of funeral hearse for internment.

A resolution passed by the QC council has authorized Bautista to enter into an agreement with owners of city-based mortuaries for the implementation of the “Murang Palibing” program.

The QC social services and development department headed by Teresa Mariano was tasked to oversee the identification of indigent beneficiaries.