Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HouseBillNo.9485
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH l^7ENDEL P. TULFO,
]OCELYN P. TULFO, AND ERWIN T. TULFO
AN ACT GRANTING FREE FUNERAL SERVICES T0 EXTREMELY POOR
FAMILIEs AND FIFry PERCENT (5o0/o) DISCouNT FROM FUNERAL
SERVICES T0 INDIGENT FAMILIES NATI0Nl^rlDE, APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article 11, Section 9 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides for adequate
social services for all.   Among these, funeral service has been a common dflemlna,
most especially to poverty-stricken families who could not afford a decent interment
for their departed relatives.
Every funeral shall be in keeping with the social position of the deceased, as
stated in Article 306, Title X of the Civil Code of the Philippines. It practically follows
that a funeral rite depends on the social and financial status of the deceased or the
surviving family. As to difficult economic circumstances, there is a call for a definite
solution, given the costly amount of funeral services in the country.
For instance, funeral essentials such as caskets usually range between Php3,000
to Php100,000; clothing ranges between Php1,000.00 to Php3,000; memorial chapel
rentals range between Php1,000 to Php10,000 per night; funeral ceremonies range
between Php8,000 to Php500,000; food and refreshments range between Php5,000 to
Php30,000; memorial lots range between Php1,000 to Php10,000,000; burial-related
services amount up to Php50,000; while cremation start at around Php70,000 and may
reach up to Php100,000, with a columbarium priced from Php20,000 to Php250,000.1
1 Moneymax Editorial Team, ``Cost of Dying in the Philippines: How Much Does a Funeral Costy', Moneymax, 5 April 2022,
https://www.moneymax.ph/personal-finance/articles/funeral{ost-philippines.


Living is already expensive enough that dying should not have to be. In the
essence of humanity and in order to preserve one's dignity, even in death, there shall
be granted an opportunity for the underprivileged, having low to no income at all, to
have access to free or discounted funeral services.
In view of the foregoing, the urgent passing of this bill is earnestly sought.
¢
RALPH l^7ENDEL P. TULF0
Representative
2iid District of Quezon aty
ACT-GIS Partylist
2


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HouseBil|No.9465
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH l^rENDEL P. TULFO,
|0CELYN P. TULFO, AND ERWIN T. TULFO
1            AN ACT GRANTING FREE FUNERAL SERVICES TO EXTREMELY POOR
2               FAMILIES AND FIFTY PERCENT (5oo/o) DISCoUNT FROM FUNERAL
3            SERVICES T0 INDIGENT FAMILIES NATIONWIDE, APPROPRIATING
4                                FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
5
6      Be it enacted by the senate and the House of Rapresenta:toes of the phiitppi:res in congress
7       assemble d :
8
9           SECTION 1. Sfeorf lt.ffe. -This Act shall be known as the ``Free Funeral services
10       Act,,.
11
12           SEC. 2. Decharaf±.o# a/PoJt.q/. -It is the policy of the state to promote a just and
13      dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation
14      and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services,
15      promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life
16      for all. As part of fulfilling this, the state shall give free funeral services to extremely
17      poor families.
18
19           SEC. 3. De/I.#t.tr.o# a/ Tcms. -The following terms as used in this Act shall mean the
20      following:
21
22           (a) Poor refers to those whose income falls below the poverty threshold as defined by
23                the National Economic Development Authority  (NEDA) and/or who cannot
3


25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
afford in a sustained manner to provide their minimum basic needs of food,
health, education, housing, or other essential amenities of life as defined under
Republic  Act No.  8425,  otherwise known as the ``Social Reform and Poverty
Alleviation Act". The Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) established
under Republic Act No.  11315  of the local government unit (LGU), with the
supervision  of  the  Philippine  Statistics  Authority  (PSA),  shall  be  used  to
determine the degree of indigency of the family, whether indigent or extremely
poor;
(b) F#7ter#Z Se77„.cos refers to preparation of funeral documents, embalming, viewing,
interment or burial services, cremation and inurnment services, including the
provision of a casket or urn, as the case may be, offered by mortuaries.  The
standard package of funeral services will cover:
(1) Transfer of deceased from place of death to the mortuary for embalming and
applying of cosmetics within a 25-kilometer radius of mortuary;
(2) An ordinary plain casket and casket stand for viewing of body or urn in case
of cremation;
(3) Two (2) to three (3)  days viewing outside the funeral chapels such as the
Barangay Hall or residence of the family;
(4) Use of funeral viewing equipment;
(5) Use of funeral vehicle for interment within a 25-kilometer radius from the
place of viewing to the place of burial; and
(6) Unless for compelling reasons, interment only on weekdays and on official
time, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.in. until 5:00 p.in, except on regular holidays;
and
(c)  ``At-need" means at the time of death or after a death has occurred.
SEC. 4. Free Funeral Services for Extremely Poor Faniites. - Free funeral seIviees
55      shall be provided for extremely poor families by accredited mortuaries anywhere in the
4


56      country. The said free services shall be given to only one (1) family member per month
57      per mortuary branch: Prowl.did, said funeral service does not exceed the cost of the
58      mortuary's minimurn funeral service package: Provided, rtyrfher, That the grant of the
59      free funeral services under this Act is without pr¢udice to the right of the beneficiary
60      to avail of upgraded funeral services given by the mortuary. The difference in cost shall
61      be borne by the family of the deceased.
62
63           SEE. 5. Discounted Funeral services f or Indigent Fandlies. -A fifty perceul (50°Xo)
64      discount  on  funeral  services  shall  be  granted  to  indigent  families  by  mortuaries
65      anywhere in the country,  but shall  be applicable only to at-need  funeral  services:
66      P7ior;1.did, said funeral  service does not exceed the cost of the mortuary's minimum
67      service package. The grant of a discount under this Act is without prejudice to the right
68      of the beneficiary to avail of other financial assistance given by the government.
69
70          SEC. 6. Requirements f or Avalitng Free or Discounted Funeral se.riiices. -Before an
71      indigent or extremely poor falnily can avail of the free or discounted funeral services,
72      the following documents shall be submitted: (a) certificate of indigency issued by the
73      barangay or the local sCh=ial welfare office of the LGU, stating whether the family is
74      either indigent or extremely poor as defined under section 3: PrmI.did, ho7octier, That the
75      certification shall not be a requirement before any member of the family of the deceased
76      could avail the services of the mortuary; a) death certificate; and (c) funeral contract
77     between   the   beneficiary-fndy,   the   accredited   mortuary,   and   the   authorized
78      Department of social welfare and Development (DSWD) personnel.
79
80           SEC. 7. Re..fflzp#rsc#ic#f. -Mortuaries granting discounted or free services to indigent
81      or extremely poor beneficiaries may seek reimbursement for the cost of the services
82      from any field office of the DSWD. The reimbursement will be based on the stipulations
83      of the signed contract between the poor family, the mortuary, and the authorized
84      DSWDpersormel.
85
5


86           SEC. 8. I,c¢d Ageney. -The DSWD shall be the lead agency in the implementation of
87      the provisions of this Act and shall engage the funeral services of the mortuaries in the
88      country.
89
90           SEC.  9. ROJc  a/ the LocoJ  Got/er7ifflc"f u#i.ts.  -Notwithstanding the  preceding
91      section,  the  LGUs  are  enjoined  to  fulfill  their  devolved  function  as  mandated  by
92      Republic  Act  No.  7160,  otherwise  known  as  the  ``Local  Government  Code",  in
93      providing assistance to indigent and extremely poor families in their respective areas at
94      their own expense. Further, the LGUs will waive fees and charges which include burial
95      or interment permit, cremation permit, transfer permit, disinterment pernrit, and cost
96      of death certificate.
97
98           SEC.10. Apprapr!.¢fj.o#s. -The amount necessary to implement the provisions of this
99      Act shall be charged against the allocation in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of
100       the DSVVD.
101
102           SEC. +1. Implementing Rules and Regulations.  -W±thin six (6) mor\t:hs from the
103      effectivity  of  this  Act,  the  Secretary  of the  DSWD  shall,  in  coordination with the
104      Department   of   Interior   and   Local   Government   and   the   Philippine   Mortuary
105      Association, with the participation of the LGUs, promulgate the necessary rules and
106      regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.
107
108           SEC.12. Scp¢rflbi.J!.fry chawse. -If any portion or provision of this Act is declared void
109      or uncoustitutional, the remaining portions or provisions hereof shall not be affected by
110      such declaration.
111
112           SEC.13.  Rape¢J..#g  Cha"se.  -Any  provision  of  law  or  regulations  inconsistent
113      herewith is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.
114
6


115           SEC.14. £#ecf!.I".fry. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
116      in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
117
1L8           Approved,
7