Senate OKs bill giving free funeral services for poor

The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading the bill seeking to provide free funeral services to poor Filipino families.

Senate Bill No. 2965, also known as the Free Funeral Services Act got 22 affirmative votes, zero negative vote, and zero abstention. It was sponsored by Senator Imee Marcos.

The bill provides that free funeral services shall be provided to families who are in crisis situations, as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), including but not limited to indigent families, or those affected by calamities, disasters, or other emergency circumstances that prevent them from affording dignified funeral services.

To avail the package, the bereaved family or representative must present the following:

-Valid identification card of the claimant or beneficiary;

-Death certificate issued by the hospital or city/municipal health office, or certification from the tribal chieftain;

=Funeral contract signed by the representative of the deceased’s family, the funeral establishment, and an authorized DSWD personnel; and

-Social case study prepared by any registered social worker.

The DSWD shall be the lead agency in the implementation of the measure, while the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shall monitor and regulate the current market prices of funeral services, including the price of caskets and urns, to prevent undue or excessive price increases.

Aside from SB 2965, five other bills were approved on third and final reading: SB 890 or the Government Optimization Act; SB 2805 or the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board Act; and SB 2960 or the Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act.

Also approved were SB 2974 or the Expanded Philippine Science High School (PSHS) System Act and SB 2975 or the Revised Animal Welfare Act. —LDF, GMA Integrated News