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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No. _____ 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Introduced by  
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. FRANCE L. CASTRO,  
GABRIELA Women’s Party Rep. ARLENE D. BROSAS,  
and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AN ACT 
GRANTING A FIFTY PERCENT (50%) DISCOUNT FROM 
FUNERAL SERVICES TO INDIGENT FAMILIES AND 
FREE FUNERAL SERVICES TO EXTREMELY POOR FAMILIES 
NATIONWIDE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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 until 
the end.  Funeral services generally are expensive, a stark and difficult reality 
confronting the large majority of impoverished Filipinos. 
A survey done on funeral services by the UP School of Urban and Regional 
Planning (2005) revealed that the average funeral service package was twenty five 
thousand pesos (₱25,000). Memorial lots in public and private cemeteries cost at an 
average of fifty thousand pesos (₱50,000) for the lot package including succeeding lease 
payments. Decent funeral services include the transport of the remains, provision of 
casket, embalming, interment, and conduct to the church and/or to the cemetery.   
Traditionally, most Filipino families hold the funeral wake at home.  The lack of 
space in many residential areas does not prevent people from setting up funeral wakes 
even on the sides of the street adjacent to the residence of the deceased. 
There are also instances where a funeral wake lasts for more than a week only 
because there are not enough funds mainly gathered through abuloy (donations) to cover 
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for the burial expenses incurred.   
 
 
Death to one’s family member becomes doubly tragic for those who earn a 
measly ₱570/day (in the National Capital Region). According to the National Statistical 
Coordination Board, the number of poor families in relation to the total population 
remains unchanged since 2006. That translates to 28 out 100 Filipino families, or 25 
million Filipinos, living on less than ₱50 a day in 2012. Meanwhile, the Philippine 
Statistics Authority recorded that the poverty rate worsened from 16.7% in 2018 to 
18.1% in 2021. This translates to 19.99 million Filipinos who are living below the very 
low poverty threshold of ₱12,030/month for a family of five. This wage structure and 
economic data demonstrate that our people cannot sustain their daily needs, let alone be 
able to shoulder the funeral expenses of their departed loved ones. 
 
 
It is the duty of the State to provide for the welfare and security of its citizens. 
This measure aims to provide immediate relief to the poor, especially during the loss of 
their loved ones.  
 
 
It is this plight of many poor Filipinos that prompted Bayan Muna Rep. Neri 
Colmenares to originally file this Bill during the 15th Congress and refiled it with fellow 
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate in the 16th Congress. This Bill was enriched in 
the technical working group in the 17th Congress after it was refiled by Rep. Carlos 
Isagani Zarate. It was also refiled in the 18th Congress as HB 5249 and was approved 
by the Committee on Poverty Alleviation. However, this Bill remained pending before 
the Committee on Appropriations. 
 
 
Thus, the passage of this Bill is earnestly requested. 
 
 
 
 
________________________________ 
Rep. FRANCE L. CASTRO 
ACT Teachers Party-List 
 
 
 
 
________________________________ 
Rep. ARLENE D. BROSAS 
GABRIELA Women’s Party 
 
 
________________________________ 
Rep. RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL 
KABATAAN Party-List 
 
 
 
 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No. _____ 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Introduced by  
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. FRANCE L. CASTRO,  
GABRIELA Women’s Party Rep. ARLENE D. BROSAS,  
and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AN ACT 
GRANTING A FIFTY PERCENT (50%) DISCOUNT FROM 
FUNERAL SERVICES TO INDIGENT FAMILIES AND 
FREE FUNERAL SERVICES TO EXTREMELY POOR FAMILIES 
NATIONWIDE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as "Free and Discounted Funeral 
Services Act". 
SEC. 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 give discounts from funeral services to 
indigent families and free funeral services to extremely poor families. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. –  The following terms as used in this Act shall mean the 
following: 
 (a) “Poor” refers to families whose income falls below the poverty threshold as
defined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and/or
who cannot afford in a sustained manner to provide their minimum basic needs
of food, health, education, housing or other essential amenities of life, as defined
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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, 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) “Funeral Services” 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 maybe, offered by 
mortuaries. The standard package of funeral services will cover: 
  
1.1 Transfer of deceased from place of death to the mortuary for 
embalming and applying of cosmetics within a 25-kilometer radius of 
mortuary; 
  
1.2. An Ordinary Plain Casket and casket stand for viewing of body or 
urn in case of cremation; 
  
1.3 Two (2) to three (3) days viewing outside the funeral chapels such as 
the Barangay Hall or residence of the family; 
  
1.4 Use of funeral viewing equipment including lighting and arania; 
  
1.5 Use of funeral vehicle for interment within a 25-kilometer radius from 
the place of viewing to the place of burial; and 
  
1.6 Unless for compelling reason, interment only on weekdays and on 
official time, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., except on 
regular holidays. 
  
SEC. 4. Free funeral services for Extremely Poor Families – Free funeral services 
shall be provided for extremely poor families by accredited mortuaries anywhere in the 
country. The said free services shall be given to only one (1) family member per month 
per mortuary branch: Provided, said funeral service does not exceed the cost of the 
mortuary's minimum funeral service package: Provided further, that the grant of free 
funeral services under this Act is without prejudice to the right of the beneficiary to 
avail of upgraded funeral services given by the mortuary. The difference in cost shall 
be borne by the family of the deceased.  
 
SEC. 5. Discounts for Indigent Families on Funeral Services. – A fifty percent (50%) 
discount on funeral services shall be granted to indigent families by mortuaries 
anywhere in the country but would only be applicable to At-Need funeral services only: 
Provided, said funeral service does not exceed the cost of the mortuary's minimum 


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funeral service package. The grant of a discount under this Act is without prejudice to 
the right of the beneficiary to avail of other financial assistance given by the 
government. 
 
SEC. 6. Requirements for Availing Free or Discount. – Before an indigent or 
extremely poor family can avail of the free or discounted funeral services, the following 
documents shall be submitted: (a) certificate of indigency issued by the barangay or the 
local social welfare office of the local government unit (LGU), stating whether the 
family is either indigent or extremely poor as defined under Section 3;  Provided, 
however, that  the certification shall not be a requirement before any member of the 
family of the deceased could avail the services of the mortuary; (b) death certificate; 
and (c) funeral contract between the beneficiary-family, the accredited mortuary and 
the authorized DSWD personnel. 
 
SEC. 7. Reimbursement. – Mortuaries granting discounted or free services to indigent 
or extremely poor beneficiaries may seek reimbursement for the cost of the services 
from any regional office of the DSWD upon the approval of the Regional Director. The 
reimbursement will be based on the stipulations of the signed contract between the poor 
family, the mortuary, and the authorized DSWD personnel. 
 
SEC. 8. Lead Agency. – The DSWD shall be the lead agency in the implementation of 
the provision of this Act and shall engage the funeral services of mortuaries in the 
country. 
 
SEC. 9. Role of Local Government Units (LGUs). – Notwithstanding the preceding 
section, the local government units are enjoined to fulfill their devolved function as 
mandated by Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code, and Presidential 
Decree No. 856 otherwise known as the Sanitation Code, in providing assistance to 
indigent and extremely poor families in their respective areas at their own expense.  
Further, the LGUs will waive fees and charges which include burial or interment permit, 
cremation permit,  transfer permit, disinterment permit, and cost of Death Certificate.  
 
SEC. 10. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to implement the provisions of this 
Act shall be charged against the allocation in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 
the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 
  
SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within six (6) months from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the DSWD shall, in coordination with the 
Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine Mortuary 
Association, with the participation of local government units, promulgate the rules and 
regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
 
SEC. 12. 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 


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such declaration. 
 
SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. – Any provision of law or regulations inconsistent 
herewith is  hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
 
SEC. 14. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,