Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3308

Introduced by Representative VINCENT FRANCO D. FRASCO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to regulate the cost of funeral services by funeral establishments to ensure
availability of affordable funeral services to indigent and extremely poor families.

Section 1, Article XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the Congress shall
give highest priority to the enactment of measures that protect and enhance the right of all the
people to human dignity, reduce social, economic, and political inequalities, and remove cultural
inequities by equitably diffusing wealth and political power for the common good.

Relatedly, Sections 306 to 307 of Republic Act No. 386 or the New Civil Code of
Philippines provides that every funeral shall be in keeping with the social position of the deceased
‘The funeral shall be in accordance with the expressed wishes of the deceased. In the absence of
such expression, his religious beliefs or affiliation shall determine the funeral rites. In case of
doubt, the form of the funeral shall be decided upon by the person obliged to make arrangements
for the same, after consulting the other members of the family.

In the Philippines, dying has become as costly as living itself. This is because most
Filipinos already live lives of utter poverty and still die poor and indebted till the end. Funeral
services generally are expensive, a stark and difficult reality confronting the large majority of
impoverished Filipinos. In particular, the cost of funeral services has become very expensive,
which is beyond the capacity of the surviving families. Hence, an added burden to the grief-
stricken families, not to mention the indigents and extremely poor.

Depending on materials used, coffins cost around P5,000 to P1 10,000. The cheapest wood
coffin with little to no design can be bought in funeral parlors. However, the sad reality is that in
most funeral parlors, there is no availability of affordable caskets and funeral services that comes
with them. Hence, the surviving family members are often left with no other better option and,
thus, constrained to purchase the available but expensive casket and funeral services, which are
beyond their financial capacity. As they bury their dead, they are left, not only with grief, but
unnecessary debt as well

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Thus, regulating the cost of funeral services by funeral establishments to ensure their
availability, will definitely relieve grief-stricken families of the added financial burden.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this Bill is earnestly requested

VINCENT FRANCO D. FRASCO

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO._3308

Introduced by Representative VINCENT FRANCO D. FRASCO

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR AFFORDABLE FUNERAL SERVICES TO INDIGENTS,
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as “Affordable Funeral Services Act.”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote a just and dynamic
social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from
poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising
standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all. As part of fulfilling this, the State shall
ensure that affordable funeral services are made available to grief-stricken families, especially
those classified as indigent and extremely poor.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. The following terms as used in this Act shall mean the
following:

(a) Funeral Services refers to a package of goods and services offered by a funeral
establishment comprised of basic embalming/mortuary services, transport of cadaver,
and provision of casket or coffin to hold the deceased, venue and/or furniture or
equipment for hosting of a wake, funeral hearse, transport towards burial grounds or
cremation;

(b) Indigent Family refers to a family whose monthly income is equivalent to the minimum
wage set in the region where they reside;

(c) Extremely Poor Family refers to a family whose monthly income is less than the
minimum wage set in the region where they reside,

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(d) Funeral Establishment includes funeral parlors, funeral chapels and any similar place
used in the preparation, storage and care of the body of a deceased person for burial or
cremation.

Section 4. Availability of Affordable Funeral Services in All Funeral Establishments. All
funeral establishments shall at all times make available for indigents funeral services with a price
of not more than Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00). Moreover, the aforementioned funeral
service package can be unbundled into its individual component services with the sum total of the
components not to exceed Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) to give the indigent family leeway
to choose the specific service or component they want to avail of. In the event that a specific
service is not available, the funeral establishment shall be obliged to offer said service of any
higher value but the price to be paid shall still be the price as pegged for indigents.

Section 5, Availment of Affordable Funeral Services. — The deceased indigent’s family
‘must present a certificate of indigency and a case study verifying their indigent status from either
the medical social service of a hospital, the local social welfare office or the DSWD to the funeral
establishment in order to avail of the affordable funeral service package.

Section 6, Penalties, - Any violation of this Act shall be penalized with a fine not exceeding
‘Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) and a suspension of license to operate for a period not
exceeding six (6) months.

Repetitive violations after the lifting of the suspension of its license to operate shall be
penalized with a fine not exceeding Four hundred thousand pesos (P400,000.00) and a revocation
of such license to operate.

Section 7. Lead Agency - The DTI shall monitor and regulate the current market prices for
funeral services. The DTI shall likewise provide the implementing rules and regulations ninety
(90) days after the passage of this Act.

Section 8. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to implement the provisions of this Act
shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the departments and agencies
concerned. Thereafter, such amount shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act

Section 9. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of the Act is declared void or
unconstitutional, the remaining portions or provisions hereof shall not be affected by such
declaration,

Section 10. Repealing Clause. - Any provision of law or regulations inconsistent herewith
is hereby repealed, revoked, or modified accordingly

Section 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

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