Bereaved families of COVID-19 victims can get burial assistance from Cebu City gov’t

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella signed into implementation the P15 million burial assistance for COVID-19 victims. 

Councilor David Tumulak said on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, that the assistance can be applied for by funeral homes so that the families will no longer have to move around to get the requirements. 

“Siempre kung confirmed, probable, ug suspected COVID ang namatay, most likely ang family ana close contact. Dili ta ganahan nga maglakaw-lakaw pa sila so ditso nalang sa funeral parlor ang kwarta,” said Tumulak. 

(Of course of it is a confirmed, probable, or suspected COVID death, most likely the family will be close contacts. We don’t want that them to be the ones going around so the payment can go straight to the funeral parlor.)  

The requirements needed to avail the burial assistance are an affidavit of undertaking by the funeral parlor; a death certificate indicating that the deceased is a confirmed, probable, or suspected COVID-19 case, and barangay certificate as proof of residency. 

The funeral parlors will be the one to apply for the burial assistance to pay off their services. 

At least 500 families will be able to avail of the P16,000 direct burial assistance while 200 families can avail P35,000 for cremation assistance. 

Tumulak said the aid should help those who have cannot afford to get their deceased loved ones properly buried at the cost of an immediate burial due to COVID. 

The aid should help reduce this cost and allow the deceased a decent burial despite the limited time of 24 hours given to do so. 

Tumulak urged families to take the burial assistance to ease some of the economic impact of the pandemic. 

However, the burial assistance is not retroactive and only those who will apply starting September 1, 2021, will be accommodated. 

/bmjo

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