Free cremation for the poor sought

MANILA, Philippines - Citing the rising costs of funeral and burial services, a legislator has proposed a measure that would mandate local government units to establish public crematoriums that will give free cremation to indigent families.

Iloilo Rep. Arthur Defensor Jr. said House Bill 3848 would benefit poor families who cannot afford decent burial for their dead.

"The cost of dying has outpaced the cost of living in our country," Defensor said in filing the bill.

"Owing to the Filipino culture, the most pervasive practice of grieving for one's loss is still the customary funeral and burial. Such expenses, however, have become more and more burdensome with each passing year," Defensor added.

Citing reports, Defensor said a funeral including the coffin, burial and cemetery plot costs from P8,000 to P10,000 for indigent families, excluding the expenses incurred during the wake.

"Other funeral packages easily range from hundreds of thousands to millions of pesos. The figure easily rises further with the average cost of a cemetery plot in a private cemetery costing at least P70,000. Other cemetery plots can cost as much as millions of pesos," Defensor said.

Public cemeteries afford little relief, citing the diminishing spaces due to rising population and the funeral costs, which are exorbitant for the indigent families, he said.

Defensor added that cremation costs one-third of a traditional funeral and the amount can even be lessened significantly if undertaken by the government for the indigent families.

"Since cremation does not entail other costs, it offers much needed relief to those who have less in life. Doing so will not simply alleviate the financial burden of our underprivileged countrymen but also empower them through the more efficient use of their hard-earned income," he said.

Under the bill, cities and municipalities are mandated to establish public crematoriums, which shall cremate free of charge indigent decedents or decedent belonging to an indigent family, as determined on the basis of existing laws and regulations.

The Department of Interior and Local Government shall subsidize 50 percent of the cost for the establishment of the public crematoriums.