Cremation

[davewe]

As the OP, my original concern was if the cremation rule was true how would it impact a society in which the methods of burial are so important. If a society creates rules intending to "save" people and unintentionally those rules do the opposite - well, that's a problem. IOW, if older people and their families do not want to go to the hospital for fear that they will be found positive and end up cremated, that doesn't help contact tracing or reducing the spread. 

Human being are clever enough to get around governmental edicts and it behooves the governments to anticipate the unintended consequences of their (often stupid) rules. For example yesterday in NYC, the live TV show, Saturday Night Live, skirted the local rules by paying each audience member $150 and claiming that member an "extra." They skirted the rules for their own benefit. 

In short any rule that encourages people not to get tested is a bad rule. There's a lot of bad rules around, and not just in the Philippines.

Edited December 8, 2020 by davewe

[Jack D]

1 hour ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

I always thought cremation was expensive? 

“Cremation is cheaper than burial. The average cost of a funeral today is about $6,500, says NBC News, including a $2,000-or-more cost of a casket. A cremation, by contrast, generally costs one-third of those prices. The least-expensive option is typically a so-called "direct cremation" with minimal ceremony.”

https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/5065222002

[Dave Hounddriver]

5 minutes ago, Jack D said:

“Cremation is cheaper than burial. The average cost of a funeral today is about $6,500, says NBC News,

That is US vs Philippines.  In the Philippines the average cost of cremation is double the average cost of a burial, in my experience.

[Dave Hounddriver]

15 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

In the Philippines the average cost of cremation is double the average cost of a burial, in my experience.

I need to clarify that.  This link has some reasonable info https://www.imoney.ph/articles/cremation-funeral-cost-of-death

The thing to remember is that most average families in the Philippines (and broke old expats) get dumped in what they call an "Apartment Tomb".  As that article says:  Cost = PHP1,000.  Add in all the bells and whistles that go along with burying the dead and it costs approx 20,000 to 30,000 pesos for a low cost burial.

The cremation, by itself, costs 25,000 pesos.  Add in all the ceremony that goes along with it and you have another 20,000 to 30,000 peso (probably less during covid if they do not prepare the body for viewing first and have a few days of sitting around gambling).

So an average family, during normal times, would spend 50K to cremate a family member vs half of that to bury him/her.  But I know it goes waaaay up from those numbers depending on what the survivors want to pay for.

So it would be more correct to say:  I have been to at least a half a dozen burials in the Philippines that cost 30K pesos or so and 2 cremation events that cost over 50K pesos.

[Jack Peterson]

 For those Interested ( and I am not particularly interested)

***Covid-19: Forced cremations traumatising Philippine families**

Full text;

** https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2020/05/589505/covid-19-forced-cremations-traumatising-philippine-families 

[Freebie]

And lets not forget that with cremations  and covid there are no bodies to put on display.

 

No bodies means its hard for friends and neighbours to all  come visit, pay respects and to play card games the proceeds of which can usually go some way towards paying the funeral costs.

 

Its rare that a family pays entirely the cost of a funeral themselves.

 

Not forgetting that a barangay captain or kagawad, or even a congressman might come and attend briefly a wake and might also hand over an envelope that will help with funeral costs, presumably /definitely expecting votes in return.

 

Cremations now , doesnt allow for an of that payment help.

[hk blues]

23 minutes ago, Freebie said:

And lets not forget that with cremations  and covid there are no bodies to put on display.

 

No bodies means its hard for friends and neighbours to all  come visit, pay respects and to play card games the proceeds of which can usually go some way towards paying the funeral costs.

 

Its rare that a family pays entirely the cost of a funeral themselves.

 

Not forgetting that a barangay captain or kagawad, or even a congressman might come and attend briefly a wake and might also hand over an envelope that will help with funeral costs, presumably /definitely expecting votes in return.

 

Cremations now , doesnt allow for an of that payment help.

Maybe that's another (very good) reason to discourage burials - we are supposed to be avoiding large gatherings after all. 

 

[Jack Peterson]

1 minute ago, hk blues said:

Maybe that's another (very good) reason to discourage burials - we are supposed to be avoiding large gatherings after all. 

 

 Let's ask ourselves what we do about Swine Fever & Foot and Mouth to stop further Infections 

[hk blues]

27 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Let's ask ourselves what we do about Swine Fever & Foot and Mouth to stop further Infections 

Haven't you read the memo, Jack?  All other illnesses have been cancelled with immediate effect so we can focus on Covid!  

[GeoffH]

There is a very large, very green and somewhat under utilized burial center in Ozamiz that I'm planning to be interred in.

Some of the family are buried there and unlike a lot of the traditional Philippines cemetaries where people rent in 5 year or 25 year blocks you can get a perpetual lease (well that's the theory anyway).

More to the point with only about 10% of the nice green lawn area actually in use there is little chance of them needing to move anyone anytime soon.

My young niece... sweet kid, (sadly her mother died of diabetic complications last year) said to me (with a worried look on her face) when I told her I would pay for her school costs and meals (it's not much by western standards).  

Tito Geoffrey, how can I pay you back for this (sad look)... "you can come visit me at the cemetery in Ozamiz after I am passed on, the family goes there anyway".  She looked happy for a minute... then stern... and said "I would have visited you anyway!"  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWLugwA9K-A

Edited December 8, 2020 by GeoffH