DILG orders 12-hour cremation or burial for COVID-19 deceased

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has mandated local government units (LGUs) to ensure the cremation or burial of COVID-19 deceased within 12 hours of death.

LGUs are instructed to designate reputable funeral parlors and crematoriums for handling the remains, with cremation being the preferred method unless it conflicts with religious beliefs.

For Muslim deceased, burial must occur within 12 hours in the nearest Muslim cemetery, as cremation is against their religious practices.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año emphasized that no LGU can prohibit the cremation or burial of COVID-19 cadavers within their jurisdiction, addressing previous reports of refusals.

LGUs are encouraged to provide financial assistance for the funeral costs if the family is unable to afford it, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also offering support.

The DILG noted that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has allocated P25,000 per indigent family for COVID-19 related funeral expenses.

A price cap on funeral services may be imposed by LGUs to prevent overcharging, and funeral parlors or crematoriums refusing services face permanent closure and cancellation of business permits.

Funeral service staff are recognized as frontliners during the pandemic and are granted exemptions from the enhanced community quarantine for their essential work, requiring appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).