A death in the family can lead to overwhelming responsibility for many. There will be an innumerable number of tasks – both large and small. And many of these tasks will need a high level of attention to detail, which only adds stress to an already emotional time in your family’s life.
It is for reasons such as this that Funeraria Imperial strives to continually be of service. Here and now, we would like to help make this experience somewhat less hectic.
The significance of the grieving process for every Filipino family holds an important role in our society. At Funeraria Imperial, we want to take care of many of the tasks inherent in the funeral and mortuary of your loved one, so you can remain focused on the needs of your family. Below are a few pieces of advice that we can offer from the depth and length of experience we have gained.
What to do now
Contact immediate family. Of course you want to update key family members. Bringing them together in person, by phone or electronically (via mass email, Skype or Facebook Family page), is an opportunity not only to comfort one another but also to share information about important decisions that must be made — some of them immediately. Do any of you, for example, know of an arrangement for the funeral or other source for burial wishes?
Consider funeral preparations. If possible, bring together key family members for an early conversation. This is especially helpful if the deceased left no advance instructions. Factors to consider:
- What did the deceased want?
- What can you afford?
- What’s realistic?
- What will help the family most?
Ultimately, people need to follow their heart, mind and gut about making these decisions. You have to know what will make your heart heal as best as it can.
Choose a funeral service provider. Make the call to your choice of funeral service provider as early as you can. It is imperative that you surround yourself with experienced, professional support at your time of need. There will be important tasks that would be best suited for the funeral company to attend to, such as governmental requirements, hospital certificates, and others. At this point, we wish for you to be able to focus on your most important tasks. Which is why we require no deposit or acceptance fees or charges.
Notify close friends and extended family. Make a list of as many people as you can. Find contacts through email accounts and personal telephone books. Contact an employer and organizations the deceased belonged to, if necessary.
Secure property. Lock up the person’s home and vehicle. Is the car parked in a secure and legal area? Will the home be vacant? If so, you may want to notify a landlord or property manager. Have someone care for pets until a permanent arrangement is made.
Close and cancel accounts. Any service providers will not know that their customer has passed on. It may be to your advantage to look into what subscriptions your loved one has, and go through proper channels with each provider so you can avoid unnecessary billing and fees. Examples of such are:
- Bank Accounts
- Phone and Internet Plans
- Magazine/Newspaper Subscription
- Cable/Satellite TV Services
To Do Before the Funeral
Meet with the director handling the funeral or memorial arrangements. Use instructions your loved one might have left and the earlier family discussion to guide the many decisions to be made.
- Will the body be embalmed or cremated?
- Will there be a casket, and if so, will it be open or closed?
- Where, and for how long will the memorial vigil be for?
- If the remains are to be cremated, will it be placed in a mausoleum?
- Where is the burial site?
- What religious traditions and ceremonies need to be observed?
- Will there be contributions to charities in lieu of flowers?
Enlist help for the funeral service. Relatives and friends may be needed to serve as pallbearers, to create or design the funeral program, cook meals (for a repast gathering or simply for the household of the deceased), take care of children or pets, or shop for any items needed for the funeral service or household of the deceased.
Arrange for headstone. You can typically purchase a headstone through the cemetery or from an outside vendor of your choice. Consult the cemetery about rules, regulations and specifications such as color and size, particularly if you go with an outside vendor.
Spread the word about the service. Once a date and time have been set for the service, share the details with those on your contact list. Include an address to send cards, flowers or donations.
Make a list of well-wishers. Keep track of who sends cards, flowers and donations so that you can acknowledge them later.
Prepare an obituary. Funeraria Imperial offers on online obituary (which you can share on online). You and your family may write a personalized obituary, which Funeraria Imperial can place in the online obituary. We can also assist in having the obituary distributed to local TV and radio stations, and any newspaper.
To Do After the Funeral
Get duplicate copies of the death certificate. Funeraria Imperial will take care of making sure that you get the death certificate as early as possible. Many of the tasks that you will need to attend to will require a certified copy. You can let us know if you may need more copies.
Send thank-you notes. From the contact list that you acquired earlier, send thank-you notes and acknowledgements. Consider delegating this task to a family member.
Notify GSIS/SSS. It is important that you contact your loved one’s social security service provider. Visit local offices for SSS or GSIS, whichever is applicable, and inform them about the death. It is at this point that they can help you with claiming death benefits, and ensuring that the account does not fall victim to false claims, or unintended arrears.
Insurance and other benefits. If your loved one was enrolled with a medical insurance company, contact the provider and make sure that the account is properly closed and ceases its billing. Look into any benefits that you can claim from such insurance memberships by reviewing your loved one’s insurance policy.
Notify banks. It helps if your loved one left a list of accounts. Otherwise, take a death certificate to the bank for assistance. Change ownership of bank accounts. Did the deceased have a safe deposit box? If a password or key isn’t available, the executor would most likely need a court order to open and inventory the safe deposit box. Most probate courts have administrative rules about steps to access the box of any decedent.
Close credit card accounts. For each account, call the customer service phone number on the credit card, monthly statement or issuer’s website. Let the agent know that you would like to close the account of a deceased relative. Upon request, submit a copy of the death certificate by fax or email. If that’s not possible, send the document by registered mail with return receipt requested. Once the company receives the certificate, it will close the account as of the date of death. If an agent doesn’t offer to waive interest or fees after that date, be sure to ask. Keep records of the accounts you close and , if you have an executor, notify the him or her of the estate about outstanding debts.
Cancel driver’s license. Clearing the driver’s license record will remove the deceased’s name from the records of the Land Transportation Office and help prevent identity theft. Contact the LTO for exact instructions. You may have to visit their offices, and need to present a copy of the death certificate.
Cancel email and website accounts. It’s a good idea to close social media and other online accounts to avoid fraud or identity theft. The procedures for each website will vary. For instance, Facebook will ask you to provide a death certificate, a photocopy of your driver’s license and other detailed information.