TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
798
Senate
of tDr gvcrftmy
25 AUG-4 PI :18
RlXElVtO BV
S. No.
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING A UNIFIED SYSTEM FOR POST-DEATH SERVICES 
AND ESTATE PROCESSING, CREATING THE INTEGRATED DEATH 
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND THE DEATH MANAGEMENT COUNCIL, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In the Philippines, the death of a loved one is always a profound emotional loss. 
But always not known to the ones grieving, it is also the start of a bureaucratic journey 
so complex that it robs many families of the time and space to properly grieve.
The moment someone passes away, the burden falls squarely on the shoulders of 
the surviving family: to secure a death certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority 
(PSA), apply for death benefits from the Social Security System (SSS) or the Government 
Service Insurance System (GSIS), obtain burial or cremation permits from the local 
government unit (LGU), file estate taxes with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and 
notify numerous other agencies. This multi-agency maze is confusing even for those 
familiar with the system—and nearly insurmountable for the poor, the elderly, or anyone 
without digital access.
Too many Filipinos, especially in low-income households, spend the days following 
a death not in mourning, but in long queues, collecting documents, paying fees, and trying 
to figure out what must be done next. And because the system is disjointed and 
inaccessible, many necessary steps—such as paying estate taxes, documenting heirs, or 
transferring land titles—are missed or deferred indefinitely.
The consequence of this inefficiency is of great national concern.
Generations later, unresolved estates leave land titles in the name of deceased 
relatives, making it legally impossible to sell, develop, or donate property. Families become


mired in inheritance disputes. And when government attempts to build urgently needed 
infrastructure—roads, railways, flood controls—it finds that the legal owners of the land 
are long gone, the heirs are undocumented, and the property is effectively frozen in limbo.
This experience is a universal one. Every Filipino family, at some point, will face 
the death of a loved one—and with it, the burden of navigating a system that was never 
built to help them through it.
This bill seeks to change that.
The Death Services Simplification and Integration Act proposes the establishment 
of the Integrated Death Management System (IDMS)—a digital, government-managed 
one-stop platform that automates and consolidates all post-death government 
transactions. With a single death registration, all concerned agencies are notified. Families 
will be guided step by step, with downloadable forms, status tracking, and tools for estate 
tax filing, burial permit applications, and benefit claims.
To ensure accessibility for all, the bill mandates the creation of One-Stop Death 
Assistance Desks (OSDADs) in LGUs, distributes printed information kits in hospitals and 
clinics, and provides dedicated assistance for indigent and vulnerable families.
By making the process humane, clear, and accessible, this bill helps Filipino families 
grieve with dignity, settle affairs promptly, and prevent the compounding of legal and land 
problems in the future. Over time, it will contribute to cleaner property records, better 
land governance, and faster infrastructure implementation—issues that, today, remain 
hampered by decades of unresoived estate matters.
This reform speaks volumes of our compassion for our fellow Filipinos. More than 
anything, this gesture is about helping famiiies move forward, and ensuring that in one of 
life's most difficult moments, government stands beside them lending aid and support.
In view of the foregoing, the urgent passage of this bill is sought.
^OREN LEGARDA


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
f@) &e,’au’
of tij.' ssva-rJary
25 AUG-4 PI :18
SENATE
798
S. No.
RECEIVr'D 3V:
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING A UNIFIED SYSTEM FOR POST-DEATH SERVICES 
AND ESTATE PROCESSING, CREATING THE INTEGRATED DEATH 
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND THE DEATH MANAGEMENT COUNCIL, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assem bled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Death Services
2 
Simplification and Integration Act."
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to uphold the dignity
4 
of every Filipino by ensuring that the handling of post-death affairs is timely, efficient,
5 
humane, and responsive to the needs of bereaved families. The State shall adopt
6 
measures to streamline and integrate the processes related to death registration,
7 
benefit claims, estate tax administration, burial permits, and other death-related
8 
government transactions. Towards this end, the government shall institutionalize a
9 
centralized and interoperable platform for such services and promote inter-agency
10 
cooperation to eliminate redundancies and bureaucratic inefficiencies, while ensuring
11 
inclusivity, transparency, and accessibility for all, including vulnerable and indigent
12 
populations.
13 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
14 
a) "Death-related services" refer to government transactions required
15 
following a person's death, including but not limited to death
16 
registration, burial and cremation permits, benefit and insurance claims.


1 
estate tax processing, pension discontinuation, and related
2 
certifications;
3 
b) "Integrated Death Management System" or "IDMS" refers to the
4 
centralized digital platform that automates, integrates, and facilitates the
5 
processing of all post-death services; and
6 
c) "Death Management Council" or "DMC" refers to the inter-agency body
7 
created under this Act to formulate policies, promote agency
8 
collaboration, and oversee the implementation of the IDMS.
9 
Sec. 4. Creation of the Integrated Death Management System (IDMS). - There
10 
is hereby created the IDMS, a government-managed digital one-stop platform that
11 
shall:
12 
a) Enable a one-time registration of a death, which shall trigger automatic
13 
notification to all concerned agencies;
14 
b) Consolidate post-death services including death certificate issuance,
15 
benefit and insurance claims, burial and cremation permits, estate tax
16 
assessment and filing, pension cessation, and related estate guidance;
17 
c) Provide step-by-step guidance to bereaved families through user-
18 
friendly digital tools, including service checklists, automated status
19 
tracking, chatbot support, and downloadable forms;
20 
d) Facilitate secure data sharing, digital identity verification, and process
21 
integration among concerned government agencies, while minimizing
22 
the need for redundant submissions and personal appearances; and
23 
e) Include built-in features for identifying eligible users for indigent support
24 
and cross-cutting social welfare programs.
25 
Sec. 5. Lead Implementing Agency. - The Department of Information and
26 
Communications Technology (DICT) shall serve as the lead implementing agency and
27 
shall be responsible for:
28 
a) Developing, operating, maintaining, and continuously upgrading the
29 
IDMS;
30 
b) Ensuring interoperability, cybersecurity, and data privacy compliance
31 
across all agency interfaces and transactions conducted through the
32 
platform;


1 
c) Setting technical standards, software and hardware specifications, and
2 
connectivity requirements for participating agencies and LGUs; and
3 
d) Coordinating with relevant agencies and stakeholders to ensure system
4 
usability, accessibility, and citizen feedback integration.
5 
Sec. 6. Creation of the Death Management Council (DMC). - There is hereby
6 
created a Death Management Council (DMC), which shall provide oversight, policy
7 
direction, and inter-agency coordination for the implementation of this Act. The DMC
8 
shall be composed of the following:
9 
a) Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications
10 
Technology (DICT) - Chairperson;
11 
b) National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the Philippine
12 
Statistics Authority (PSA) - Co-Chairperson; and
13 
c) Representatives, with a rank not lower than Assistant Secretary or
14 
equivalent, from the following agencies:
15 
1) Social Security System (SSS);
16 
2) Government Service Insurance System (GSIS);
17 
3) Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR);
18 
4) Department of Health (DOH);
19 
5) Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);
20 
6) Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth);
21 
7) Department of Justice (DOJ);
22 
8) Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); and
23 
9) One (1) representative each from the League of Cities of the
24 
Philippines and the League of Municipalities of the Philippines.
25 
The DMC 
shall meet regularly, issue policy directives, adopt implementing
26 
guidelines, and submit annual progress reports to Congress.
27 
Sec. 7. Standardization and Simplification of Requirements. - All participating
28 
agencies shall undertake the following actions:
29 
a) Harmonize and standardize their documentary requirements for death-
30 
related services;
31 
b) Adopt digital identity verification systems, data-sharing protocols, and
32 
inter-agency authentication mechanisms;


1 
c) Transition to paperless and automated processing of transactions, to the
2 
extent practicable;
3 
d) Issue joint circulars that define uniform service standards, timelines, and
4 
client protection mechanisms;
5 
e) Provide downloadable, tillable, and electronically verifiable standard
6 
forms and templates, translated into Filipino and major regional
7 
languages; and
8 
f) Conduct regular process reviews to identify and eliminate unnecessary
9 
steps and outdated procedures.
10 
Sec. 8. Online Estate Tax Services. - The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
11 
shall develop and implement a secure digital service through the IDMS for the end-to-
12 
end processing of estate tax obligations. This shall include:
13 
a) Online assessment, filing, and payment of estate taxes;
14 
b) Digital tools for estate valuation, tax computation, and submission of
15 
required documents;
16 
c) Downloadable and tillable forms, process guides, and automated case
17 
updates; and
18 
d) Step-by-step assistance to heirs for navigating estate settlement
19 
requirements.
20 
To ensure continuity from tax settlement to title transfer, the BIR shall
21 
coordinate with the Land Registration Authority (LRA) to streamline the transfer and
22 
registration of real property titles. Through the IDMS, heirs shall be guided on the
23 
procedural steps for title reconstitution, subdivision, or annotation, including
24 
documentary requirements, application routing, and registration timelines.
25 
Upon issuance of the electronic Certificate Authorizing Registration (eCAR), the
26 
BIR shall electronically transmit the eCAR and relevant supporting documents to the
27 
LRA and the concerned Register of Deeds (RD) for prompt and secure processing of
28 
land title updates.
29 
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) shall
30 
work with the LRA to establish secure, interoperable linkages between the IDMS and
31 
the national land title registration system.


1 
Sec. 9. LGU One-Stop Death Assistance Desks (OSDADs). - All cities and
2 
municipalities shall establish One-Stop Death Assistance Desks (OSDADs) within their
3 
local Civil Registry Offices or designated service centers. These desks shall:
4 
a) Assist clients in accessing and navigating the IDMS platform;
5 
b) Serve as facilitators for LGU-issued burial, cremation, and transport
6 
permits;
7 
c) Provide guidance to bereaved families without digital access and offer
8 
referrals to relevant national or local agencies;
9 
d) Coordinate with local health offices, mortuary services, and funeral
10 
providers as necessary; and
11 
e) Deploy IDMS navigators to assist digitally vulnerable or low-literacy
12 
individuals.
13 
Sec. 10. Duties of Hospitals, Medical Institutions, and Authorized Certifiers. -
14 
All hospitals, medical centers, and licensed health facilities shall have the duty to assist
15 
families in navigating post-death procedures by:
16 
a) Distributing a standardized information kit to the deceased's next-of-kin
17 
upon death declaration or discharge, which would include:
18 
1) A government-issued 
checklist of required death-related
19 
procedures;
20 
2) Printed leaflets or flyers explaining how to use the Integrated
21 
Death Management System (IDMS) platform; and
22 
3) Contact information of the nearest One-Stop Death Assistance
23 
Desk (OSDAD).
24 
b) Issuing a Medical Certificate of Death (MCOD) in a standardized digital
25 
format within forty-eight (48) hours of death pronouncement; and
26 
c) Submitting the MCOD electronically to the Philippine Statistics Authority
27 
(PSA) through the IDMS for purposes of death registration and cross-
28 
agency notification.
29 
The Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with the Department of
30 
Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Death Management
31 
Council (DMC), shall ensure the development, printing, and regular updating of the


1 
information kits and oversee the integration of institutional death reporting into the
2 
IDMS.
3 
Licensed funeral homes, community health centers, and other authorized
4 
certifiers involved in the issuance of MCODs for home-based or non-hospital deaths
5 
shall likewise be registered and accredited within the platform, subject to standards
6 
and procedures established by the DMC.
7 
Sec. 11. Dedicated Death Services Website. - The DICT, in coordination with
8 
the DMC, shall establish and maintain a dedicated government website on death-
9 
related services, which shall:
10 
a) Serve as the official public portal of the IDMS;
11 
b) Provide updated step-by-step guides, agency directories, downloadable
12 
forms, frequently asked questions, and service timelines;
13 
c) Feature accessibility tools for persons with disabilities and translations in
14 
major regional languages;
15 
d) Host a feedback and grievance mechanism;
16 
e) Ensure full mobile and low-bandwidth optimization for access by users
17 
in geographically isolated or disadvantaged areas.
18 
Sec. 12. Data Privacy and Security. - All activities under this Act shall strictly
19 
comply with Republic Act No. 10173 or the "Data Privacy Act of 2012." The DICT and
20 
all participating agencies shall ensure that personal and sensitive information is
21 
collected, stored, processed, and shared only in accordance with applicable data
22 
privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations.
23 
Sec. 13. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Report to Congress. - The Death
24 
Management Council shall submit an annual report to Congress detailing the
25 
implementation progress of this Act, including but not limited to:
26 
a) Number of death registrations processed through the IDMS;
27 
b) Volume and types of services rendered and completed through the
28 
platform;
29 
c) Time and cost reductions achieved through digital integration;
30 
d) User satisfaction ratings and stakeholder feedback;
31 
e) Challenges encountered and measures undertaken to address them.


1 
The report shall include measurable indicators for performance monitoring and
2 
policy recommendations. On the fifth year of implementation, the Council shall
3 
commission an independent impact evaluation and submit its findings with
4 
recommendations for supplemental legislation or system enhancements.
5 
Sec. 14. Open Data and Transparency. - Subject to Data Privacy and applicable
6 
laws, the DICT shall maintain an open data dashboard providing anonymized,
7 
aggregate data on the usage, coverage, and performance of the IDMS. Public access
8 
to relevant reports, performance metrics, and process timelines shall be made
9 
available in accordance with Republic Act No. 6713 or the "Code of Conduct and Ethical
10 
Standards for Public Officials and Employees" and Republic Act No. 11032 or the "Ease
11 
of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018."
12 
All non-personal and non-confidential documents, records, and data generated
13 
under this Act shall be made publicly accessible, subject to applicable laws on data
14 
privacy, national security, and privileged information.
15 
Sec. 15. Funding. - The amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos
16 
(R500,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated as initial funding for the implementation of
17 
this Act. This amount shall be used for the development, rollout, administration, and
18 
maintenance of the Integrated Death Management System (IDMS), including but not
19 
limited to:
20 
a) Establishment and operation of One-Stop Death Assistance Desks
21 
(OSDADs);
22 
b) Development and management of the dedicated death services website;
23 
c) Production and translation of information kits and materials;
24 
d) Hiring and deployment of IDMS navigators and necessary administrative
25 
personnel; and
26 
e) Other operational and support services required to implement the
27 
provisions of this Act.
28 
This appropriation shall be charged against the available funds of the
29 
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and participating
30 
agencies, and shall be released in accordance with existing budgeting, accounting,
31 
and auditing rules and regulations.


1 
Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation
2 
of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
3 
Sec. 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
4 
the effectivity of this Act, the Death Management Council (DMC) shall promulgate the
5 
necessary implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to operationalize the provisions
6 
of this Act.
7 
Provided, That the Implementing Rules and Regulations shall include a phased
8 
rollout strategy prioritizing cities and municipalities with the highest volume of death
9 
registrations, digital infrastructure readiness, or administrative capacity, as
10 
determined by the Death Management Council. Pilot implementation shall be
11 
undertaken within one hundred eighty (180) days from the effectivity of this Act,
12 
covering selected areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The nationwide expansion
13 
of the IDMS shall be implemented in successive phases within a period not exceeding
14 
three (3) years, subject to monitoring, evaluation, and readiness assessment.
15 
Sec. 17. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
16 
unconstitutional, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full
17 
force and effect.
18 
Sec. 18. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
19 
administrative orders, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the
20 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
21 
Sec. 19. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
22 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,