Daughter laments delay in cremation of mother's remains

A family in Taguig endured almost three months of waiting to have their deceased mother's remains cremated, despite securing assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to cover part of the cost.

Josephine, the daughter of the deceased, said part of the P95,000 they raised for the cremation included a P30,000 guarantee letter from the DSWD under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.

However, the funeral parlor reportedly refused to proceed with the cremation until it received the full amount owed for its services, according to a report on Emil Sumangil's Kapuso Action Man on "24 Oras."

“Every day, we go to the funeral parlor,” Josephine said, expressing the pain of having to wait for months to bring her mother's remains home.

Funeral parlor staff said they were waiting for a directive before proceeding with the cremation.

DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao explained that the AICS program assists in two modalities: a guarantee letter and outright cash assistance.

A guarantee letter is a document confirming that the DSWD will shoulder a client's outstanding obligation to a service provider, subject to the program's requirements.

“Our program provides immediate assistance, so the service should not have to wait,” Dumlao said.

Dumlao added that DSWD social workers had explained to the service provider that once the service had been rendered and a statement of account submitted to the agency, the DSWD would make the payment.

The funeral parlor, meanwhile, said the delay stemmed from a misunderstanding.

The mother's remains were cremated on October 13, and the urn was subsequently turned over to the family. —LDF, GMA News