By Lade Jean Kabagani / Philippine News Agency
There are a lot of reasons to revel as we get older, but having to ponder about the cost of death isn’t one of them.
But everyone dies, and the inevitable question is—are we financially prepared for death in the family?
Zooming into the country, how much does it cost to die in the Philippines?
Memorial plans
Funeral packages include memorial plans with money-back guarantee for those preparing their life’s end and one-time payment for families.
Dr. Mildred Vitangcol, chairman of the Board of St. Peter Life Plan Inc., cited the importance of having memorial life plans for Filipinos, especially building relationships without the fear of the concept of death or dying.
“It is very important to have a death-care plan. If you don’t have any insurance coverage, or if you are not aware of how difficult it is not to have a plan especially when you lose your loved ones. It’s really an important investment wherein it’s available when the family would need it,” she said.
“It will be more expensive for you if you don’t have the life plan,” she said.
St. Peter Life Plan Inc. offers services from high-end clients to the poorest of the poor in the Philippines through its Death Care Memorial Plan.
“We have a selection of wooden and metal caskets, and low-climate caskets which are also imported from the US and we offer high-end casket for the family that have more budget in their funeral activities,” she said.
St. Peter’s, she says, offers the most affordable plan which is at P700 a month, or P38,800 under St. George Plan and the new St. Gregory Plan worth P38,200 or P725 per month, both payable in five years.
It also offers top of the line plans like St. John Plan, which comes with a more elegant casket for P300,000 or P5,700 monthly.
“We also introduce a money-back guarantee. We are offering a package at the liking of our client. The amount of the product is fixed and will be paid for a five-year span, it’s either paid annually or monthly. Our commitment is to return to the person the money invested,” she added.
There are a number of ways to cut funeral costs. Or if you cannot avail yourself of paying monthly memorial plans, you just have to look for a funeral parlor that offers the best deal of memorial services without breaking your pockets.
Renato Mendoza started his funeral parlor called Norsam Memorial Chapels, which has been offering low-cost funeral services to poor Filipinos.
Mendoza, who once delivered tombstones to funerals, says he knows how to live with just enough for daily living.
“I was once delivering tombstones, and I worked hard for a living until such time that I had my own funeral parlor. All the hard work paid off, and now I am able to help the families of the dead through my funeral,” he said.
“We had just started casket-making. We offer a lowest cost of a funeral at P28,000, and it doesn’t matter how long the funeral activities are, we don’t ask for additional payment,” he said.
“The offer includes 50 pieces of coffee, flowers, limitless funeral and death documents,” he added.
Now, Mendoza Funeral Homes offers a one-stop shop for poor families who can’t afford to have a memorial life plan.
Funeral homes offer packages that include embalming, coffins and wake arrangements.
“We offer casket for the middle-class families and provide a casket for the poorest of the poor,” he said.
Cremation
Another dying cost to consider is cremation. The cost of the memorial lot depends on the location.
The government-run public cemetery offers much cheaper or free, depending on the status of the living family of the dead. That’s what Manila North Cemetery Director Roselle Castaneda explained.
“We are doing interviews for the family of the dead and checking an endorsement from DSWD, or from the office of the mayor or the barangay chairman, that we can assess if the family belongs to the poorest of the poor,” she said.
“The family has to comply with the death certificate and burial permit, “ she added.
The cost of burying the dead may be heavy, but for many Filipinos, this doesn’t matter, so long as their loved ones are provided with a decent burial and funeral.
2 comments
wow!!! Really its a great article for every Philippines people… A funeral can bring comfort and peace to those who mourn and bring people together to share in the sorrow of loss and the joy of having known someone. A few months ago I have taken the services for one of my relatives from Philplans/Heritage Park with affordable packages
Actually, many Filipinos know the importance of having a memorial plan. But many consider it as one of the least, if not the least important things to have. Financial education must be thought in schools. Filipinos must be thought at the very young age. Tsaka dapat maituwid na din yung mga paniniwala ng ilan na ang pagkuha ng insurance or memorial plans is like an invitation for the death to come.