MANILA - The high cost of living is also making the cost of dying higher, with the price of cremation services increasing due to the spiraling prices of fuel.

A death care provider in Caloocan hiked prices in August to P40,000 per cremation from a base fee of P30,000, or an increase of 33 percent, as fuel prices skyrocketed.

This price does not yet include urns, which range from P2,000 to P13,000 depending on the material and design. There are other costs such as the transfer of remains and funeral services.

A well-known death care provider offers cremation services at a range of P66,000 to P99,000. It said it may also raise rates soon due to the high cost of fuel.

In Mandaluyong City, where cremation is free for residents, there are also proposals to start charging for the service.

Andy Natividad, officer-in-charge of the Garden of Life Memorial Park in Mandaluyong City, they do about 8 cremations a day these days. He also said the cost now is quite expensive.

“Siyempre kasi diesel yan eh, every day kami 400 liters. Wala tayong magagawa kasi kailangan,” he said.

(We use diesel, every day 400 liters. We can’t do anything because it’s necessary.)

Natividad did not specify how much they spend on fuel. But using data from the Department of Energy’s NCR Retail Pump Price monitoring from October 18 to 20, 400 liters of diesel at prevailing pump prices add up to P31,660 per day.

Non-residents of Mandaluyong currently pay P13,000 for each cremation, while residents do not need to pay for the service.

But because of the high cost of diesel, the city is thinking about charging everyone, regardless of their place of residence.

“Maghe-hearing pa kami regarding diyan. As of this time wala pa naman,” Natividad said.

(We will hold a hearing on this. As of this time, there’s nothing definite yet.)

Cremation is still cheaper compared to regular burials and cemetery plots. Those costs can run up to hundreds of thousands of pesos depending on the location of the cemetery, and the type of casket.

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