Poor even in death: The high cost of dying in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — In a country where millions live in poverty and struggle to make ends meet, the cost of holding a wake and burying a loved one can be overwhelming, especially for families still burdened by hospital bills and debts after prolonged medical treatment.

Government data showed that 9.7% of the Philippine population, or 11.1 million Filipinos, were poor in 2025. The poverty threshold for a family of five was P14,634 a month.

Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) Consumer Expectations Survey showed that the proportion of households without savings remained persistently high, rising from an annual average of 65% in 2018 to 72% in 2021 before easing to 69% in 2023.

This suggests that many Filipino households have little money to set aside for unexpected expenses. The latest BSP data also showed that the Saving Intention Index fell to -0.7 from 12.4 in the first quarter of the year.

For families already struggling to get by, the death of a loved one can bring another financial crisis: finding the money to pay for a wake, a coffin and burial services.

Interviews by the Inquirer with several funeral homes in the provinces found that the most expensive caskets could cost between P150,000 and P400,000, depending on their design and materials, including metal caskets.

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These prices reportedly cover the full funeral service, including embalming, flowers, lighting, a water dispenser and a funeral vehicle. However, the use of a funeral chapel is charged separately when a wake cannot be held at the deceased’s home.

Renting a chapel costs between P4,000 and P5,000 a night.

For families with sufficient financial resources, these expenses may be manageable. But for those living on the margins, even the cheapest coffin can pose a significant financial challenge.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/INQUIRER.net

According to funeral home operators interviewed by the Inquirer, the least expensive caskets currently cost between P25,000 and P40,000. Both are made of wood, with the main difference being their design.

Residents play cards during a wake on a sidewalk in Makati City, to help raise money for his burial. Poor families sometimes rely on donations and card-game winnings to cover funeral expenses. (Romeo Gacad/AFP)

The P25,000 casket has a flat top and allows only the deceased’s head and shoulders to be viewed. The P40,000 option, meanwhile, features a more elaborate cover and a full-length glass top, allowing mourners to see the deceased’s entire body.

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The disparity between rich and poor remains evident even in death. While wealthy families can afford elaborate funeral arrangements for their loved ones, poorer households often have no choice but to settle for what their limited resources can cover.

As the saying goes, “Kahit sa kamatayan, mahirap pa rin” — poverty persists even in death.

Consider the case of Avelino Galvan, who died in 2019.

One of his relatives previously told the Inquirer that the family, being poor, opted for the cheapest funeral package available at the time, which cost P9,000. It included a plain wooden casket and a wreath made of crepe paper.

But heavy rains caused a nearby river to overflow, flooding Galvan’s home, where his wake was being held. The floodwaters damaged his coffin, forcing his relatives to repair it with packaging tape, cardboard and a cord.

Poor even after death

For many Filipinos, hardship does not end with death. Even the final resting place of a loved one can reflect the divide between the wealthy and the poor.

Children sleep on chairs during the wake of Bryan Conje in Caloocan City. Conje was found dead on July 5, 2019, three days after he went missing. (Noel Celis/AFP)

Galvan’s family was fortunate that the public cemetery where he was buried did not charge for a burial plot, provided the deceased was a resident of the barangay.

For many other families, particularly in Metro Manila, securing a final resting place for a loved one can be another major financial hurdle.

READ: Cost of dying still high

In private cemeteries, the least expensive option, known as a lawn lot, can cost between P60,000 and P350,000. A garden lot can cost P3.2 million, while an estate lot can reach P18 million.

Apartment-type tombs, commonly used by ordinary Filipinos, can cost up to P5,000, depending on rates set by the local government. These burial spaces are often leased for periods of up to five years.

The difficulty of securing a decent burial for the poor prompted Catholic priest Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, to help provide dignified burials for victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, which human rights groups have said killed as many as 30,000 people, most of them poor.

Villanueva’s Project Arise, an offshoot of the St. Arnold Janssen Kalinga Foundation’s Kalinga Program, assists families with the exhumation and cremation of their loved ones’ remains.

Rebecca, not her real name, was among those who received assistance from Villanueva. She told the Inquirer that she sought help because of the high cost of having her loved one’s remains exhumed and cremated.

“Humingi ako ng tulong kasi ‘yung pagtanggal sa labi niya sa libingan tapos ‘yung pagpapa-cremate ay talagang may kamahalan,” she said.

Even cremation, sometimes considered a cheaper alternative to traditional burial, remains expensive. Costs can range from P33,000 to P135,000, depending on the urn and the services required.

These expenses do not include other costs associated with funeral traditions, such as food for mourners and pakimkim, or payments given to hagad — people who escort the funeral procession.

Government assistance

A funeral home owner interviewed by the Inquirer said financial assistance for wakes and burials is available through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The assistance may come in the form of a guarantee letter worth between P20,000 and P40,000, the operator said. However, it could take nearly two months for the corresponding payment to be released.

In 2025, Republic Act No. 12309, or the Free Funeral Services Act, lapsed into law after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not sign or veto the measure within the constitutionally prescribed 30-day period.

The law institutionalized the government’s funeral assistance initiative under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

Under the law, free funeral services must be extended to families in crisis situations, as determined by the DSWD. These include indigent families, households affected by calamities or disasters, and individuals facing emergencies that leave them unable to afford dignified burial services.

Applicants must submit a valid identification card of the claimant or beneficiary; a death certificate issued by a hospital or the city or municipal health office, or a certification from the tribal chieftain; and a funeral contract signed by the deceased’s family representative, the funeral establishment and authorized DSWD personnel.

A social case study prepared by a registered social worker is also required.

For families already struggling with poverty, these expenses and requirements underscore a painful reality: Even saying goodbye to a loved one with dignity can come at a cost they can barely afford. /dm