MANILA, Philippines — Militant lawmakers have proposed a measure seeking to grant free funeral services to the poorest families and a 50 percent discount to indigent Filipinos.

House Bill 5249 or the Funeral Services Discount Act seeks to provide assistance to underprivileged families in meeting the high costs of funeral services, according to Bayan Muna Reps. Carlos Zarate, Eufemia Cullamat and Ferdinand Gaite.

“In the Philippines, dying has become as costly as living itself. This is because most Filipinos live in utter poverty and still die poor and indebted till the end,” the lawmakers said in the bill filed on Oct. 23.

Banned

Meanwhile, another measure seeking to ban funeral parlor agents from roaming around public or private hospitals has been filed before the House.

“It is an insult to the role of hospitals and the thrust of medical practice when funeral agents invade the premises asking or looking for dying or terminally ill patients with the intent to enter into a contract with the family members,” Rep. Precious Hipolito-Castelo said.

She said it is wrong for these agents to just barge in and have members of the family sign a contract even as doctors try to revive the patients.

Castelo’s House Bill 2572 wants the Department of Health to set penalties against violators.

In pushing for the discounted funeral service measure, the lawmakers cited a survey on funeral services conducted by the UP School of Urban and Regional Planning in 2005, which showed the average funeral service package was P25,000 while memorial lots in public and private cemeteries cost an average of P50,000, including succeeding lease payments.

“Funeral services are expensive, a stark and difficult reality confronting a large majority of impoverished Filipinos,” they said.

The measure, which will be implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), grants 100 percent subsidy to funeral expenses of families belonging to the poorest of the poor or beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

On the other hand, indigent families or those whose monthly income is equivalent to the minimum wage set in their respective cities or municipalities will get 50 percent subsidy.

It requires beneficiaries to submit requirements, particularly death certificate, funeral contract and a certificate as indigent or extremely poor beneficiary from the barangay or local social welfare offices or from DSWD regional or national offices.

Under the bill, funeral homes granting discounts or free services to beneficiaries may reimburse the cost of the discount from any regional office of the DSWD.

A similar bill was filed and tackled during the previous 17th Congress, but failed to get the House’s approval.

Haunted Clark

The haunted reputation of Clark Air Base in Pampanga, a former US military facility, has spread beyond Philippine shores.

This All Saints’ Day, certain areas at Clark will again be visited by folks wanting to satisfy their curiosity about the paranormal.

Reports of unusual hauntings have attracted foreigners.

On Feb. 11, 2009, the US-based Ghost Hunters International (GHI) came to Clark to probe reports of “babies crying and women screaming” at an abandoned hospital used by the Americans until the US military abandoned Clark due to Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991.

The GHI was established in January 2008 and has since visited the most haunted places in the US, South America, Western and Eastern Europe, including the purported castle of Dracula in Transylvania, Romania.

In Asia, Clark is so far the only place the GHI has visited for its documentary aired on US television.

GHI’s video at the abandoned hospital can be viewed on YouTube.