Rep. Frasco pushing for cheaper caskets

CEBU, Philippines — Fifth District Representative Vincent “Duke” Frasco is seeking to have affordable caskets for families, especially the indigents.

Frasco filed a bill seeking to regulate the sale of caskets of funeral establishments.

“In general, funeral services are expensive, a stark and difficult reality confronting the large majority of impoverished Filipinos. In particular, the price of most caskets has become unconscionably high, which is beyond the paying capacity of the family of the deceased,” Frasco said in a statement.

He added that the price of casket ranged from P5,000 to P300,000. However, there are times that the affordable ones are not available or out of stock forcing the families to purchase the higher price.

“The sad reality is that in most funeral parlors, there is no availability of affordable caskets, so the surviving family members are often left with no other option (but to buy the expensive ones),” Frasco added.

Under the bill, funeral establishments are obliged to offer a casket of any higher value but shall not exceed to P12,000 in the event that there is no affordable casket available and the deceased is an indigent.

If passed into law, funeral establishments that violate the measure will be meted a fine ranging from P200,000 to P400,000, or the revocation of their business permits or related licenses.

“Regulating the sale of caskets 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 added. — GAN (FREEMAN)