By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Less fortunate Filipinos heaved a sigh of relief as the hope of an “abot-kayang ataol'” is now in sight following the passage by a House committee of the Affordable Casket Act authored by House Deputy Speaker and Cebu 5th District Representative Duke Frasco.

The Cebuano lawmaker has lauded the House Committee on Trade and Industry for its recent approval of Frasco’s proposed Affordable Casket Act that will guarantee access to affordable caskets and funeral services for poor families.

“In the Philippines, the cost of dying has become a burden akin to the challenges of living. Many Filipinos are born in poverty, and unfortunately, they often pass away in similar circumstances. With steep funeral and burial costs, one can only imagine the painful experience that grief-stricken Filipino families go through when facing not only the loss of their loved ones but also the financial burden brought about by high-cost funeral expenses,” Frasco underscored in his sponsorship speech.

He noted that the price of caskets ranges from P5,000 to P110,000, with the availability of lower-priced caskets often limited and even unavailable in most funeral parlors.

Under Frasco’s measure, all funeral establishments shall always maintain the availability of decent caskets that would cost not more than P20,000.

The bill also provides that if there is no affordable casket available and the deceased is indigent or extremely poor as duly certified by a Barangay Chairman or a social worker, the funeral establishment shall be obliged to offer a casket of any higher value, but the price to be paid shall still not exceed P20,000 to include funeral expenses.

Funeral parlors found in violation will face fines ranging from P200,000 to P400,000, or the revocation of their business permits or related licenses.

“Regulating the sale of caskets and funeral expenses will greatly relieve grief-stricken families of the added financial burden, and preserve the human dignity of our fellow Filipinos, both in life and in death,” Frasco stressed.

During the deliberation, the House Committee on Trade and Industry broadened the coverage of the cap to include not only caskets but also funeral expenses.

(ai/mnm)