MARIKINA, Philippines — Death is no longer the ultimate equalizer, debt comes in as another challenger. Living has no assurance, moreso dying and grieving grows challenging without insurance.
Filipinos often view life insurance as expensive, unnecessary, a waste of money, complicated, for the wealthy only, and so forth. This makes financially and emotionally unprepared families struggle more when faced with the unexpected demise of loved ones.
Funeral and burial services are one of, if not the main, expenses of a typical bereaved family. Unexpected deaths means unforeseen costs for those living paycheck to paycheck.
For peace of mind before rest in peace, how can life insurance contribute to those who are “life-insured” and, conversely, make an impact on those who are yet to have it?
Insurance in Different Perspectives
Elaborating on the experience is recently bereaved Judy Estil whose loss came with an impending worry as the unexpectedness came with the lack of a full-coverage life insurance to pay off funeral and burial costs.
“‘Yung libingan ay nasa 130k na since private ‘yung kinuha namin, tas 8k sa Tajuna para sa pag-aayos. Then nasa 20k pataas ‘yung nagastos para sa mga foods and services. ‘Yung damit naman ay nasa 1k mahigit.” Judy said, explaining the significant amount they spent on his father's burial.
The unexpected death of her father was both emotionally draining and financially straining. Fortunately, her family rallied together to seek financial support and even use their own resources.
Quezon City's Burial Assistance Program, under Ordinance No. SP 2865 S-2019, has also provided assistance to help ease their financial burden. This initiative includes embalming, a casket, flower arrangement, tarpaulin, and registration of death certificates, to support indigenous residents during their bereavement.
However, not everyone will receive the same support that Judy's family experienced. Some need to cover their expenses from their own pockets, which requires them to restrain spending and avail proper burial services, adding to their grief.
“May mga savings talaga [sana] para in case of emergency may makukuhang pera. Lumapit din sa Mayor dahil may mga services sila,” she added.
Into the picture of preparations, relatively apart from being morbid and saddening is Mrs. Carmelita Trufil’s bereavement memory as she recently lost her sister. Beyond the still unexpected nature of death, what did not surprise their family was the little cost left to shoulder as their earlier commitment to insurance covered funeral to burial costs.
"Iyong ibang bills, nakuhanan namin ng financial assistance. Sa burial, wala siyang insurance, pero 'yung nakatatanda naming kapatid mayroon, kaya naipasa sa kaniya—nagamit sa mga bayarin sa paglilibing," she explained.
Recalling each and every expense, the total amount they paid to St. Peter for a four-night wake is exactly ₱44,100. For the interment and the burial itself, it costs only ₱18,000 as they already own the lawn lot.
If their older sister is uninsured, and even if they own the lawn lot in which the burial will be situated, Mrs. Trufil added that the total amount they would have to spend for the funeral, including the additional packages (water dispenser, flowers, coffin, and hearse), might be between ₱100,000 to ₱150,000.
"Iyong sa kapatid ko kasi, kakasimula pa lang noong kinuhanan (insurance) siya ng anak niya. Kaya, kung magkano 'yung naging balance niya, 'yun na lang 'yung kinailangang bayaran sa funeral." she elaborated.
Upon estimation, the total amount they spent turned out to be just over ₱60,000, excluding those spent on the deceased's clothing and food for the relatives and bereaved. However, as Mrs. Trufil noted, if they use a new lawn lot, their expenses might also exceed ₱200,000, even with the insurance benefits.
Life Insurance as Life Assurance
Life insurance is undeniably an advantage, as it can lessen or cover the expenses of the life-insured or their beneficiaries in unfavorable situations such as death. On the other hand, it serves disadvantages to those who don’t prepare for it ahead, as it causes financial strain to the family.
These real-life narratives break the misperception about life insurance, leading to roughly 26.98 million newly-insured people in the Philippines in 2022 which made an increase from the previous year based on Statista. However, the penetration rate of the insurance industry in the country remained below two percent in that year.
Philippine Life Insurance Association suggests that purchasing life insurance is equal to five to seven times of the current annual gross income. Family protection, savings, and retirement income are the three major services of life insurance and have classifications and types in terms of its policy.
Cashed, Casket, Cremated?
Either with government or personal insurance, the price one pays upon dying is not just with their life, as receipts of debt might await. For a typical Filipino with neither to depend on, how much does dying costs?
While popular funeral and burial service providers often mark up to costly estimations, the expense of a typical Filipino can be rounded down given the choice of cheaper local services.
For example, in Marikina, Metro Manila, a funeral service provider called "KAIROG" located in Brgy. Nangka offers a significantly cheaper array of deathcare packages. Upon estimating, their cheapest package which includes funeral accessories, wooden coffin, and burial necessities start at 30,000 pesos while the most expensive range at 80,000 pesos with the only difference of availing a metal casket instead.
As traditional Filipino funeral often includes a casket viewing, local funeral parlors often display coffin packages but like KAIROG, the cheapest option for the bereaved can be through opting for the crematory package which includes the cremation process fee and urn ranging between 18,000 to 38,000 pesos depending on the urn material.
As funerals are still not the end-all-be-all, the burial speaks for a different conversation. In Loyola Heights Cemetery, interment lots and columbarium slots range from 90,000 pesos or higher depending on lot sizes. Still on the cheaper side, public cemeteries are the go-to options.
Conversing with one of the groundskeeper in Barangka Public Cemetery in Marikina, the average cost of an apartment-style burial slot is 7,500 pesos which includes: a five-year contract to use the space (₱4,500), a typical 30x40-inch etched gravestone (₱2,000), and thrice a year tending which comprises of maintenance fresh painting (₱1,000) during the departed's birthday, death anniversary, and All Souls' Day.
With a whopping total of at least ₱34,500 excluding other fees outside service providers' responsibilities, to have debt in death is not too grave to assume.
The Equalizer in Question
With the banner header Rest in Peace, comes the summary that with a basic apartment slot fitting at least one fresh body and six other sacks of bones complying to the 7-body maximum for each apartment slot, peace can hardly be the word for it.
Indeed, the only thing that is similar between dying and living is that it is expensive. Although cheaper options and government support exist, the sole fact that sending someone to the afterlife costs more than a family’s monthly income is something to think of. What about those who do not have a stable source of income? What about those who do not have the time and resources to avail insurances?
In a society where even the demise of someone and the loss and grief of another is a business, is the popular saying “death is the great equalizer” still true?
Article | Brian Rubenecia, Charles Vincent Nagaño, Kent Merrie Jade Mejares, Kristel Mara Isidro & Sharona Nicole Semilla
Layout | Charles Vincent Nagaño
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