Grieving families in Cebu City have been waiting nearly a year to receive a promised P10,000 burial assistance grant from the local government. In a privilege speech delivered during the City Council's regular session on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. called for an investigation into the delays in the release of the assistance, stating that many residents are being forced into debt to cover funeral costs.
Growing Complaints from Bereaved Families
Alcover noted that his office has been receiving an increasing number of complaints from bereaved families who applied for burial assistance but have yet to receive any payout despite several months of waiting. “Government assistance should be felt when people need it the most, not when the pain has already turned into frustration,” he said. He stressed the urgency of releasing aid meant to cushion families from the immediate financial impact of a loved one's death.
Financial Burden on Families
Alcover described how many affected families had already exhausted their financial resources prior to the death of their loved ones, spending heavily on hospital bills, medicines, laboratory tests, and emergency care in hopes of recovery. When death eventually comes, these families are confronted with another wave of expenses, including funeral services, burial lots, transportation, food for mourners, and religious services. With little to no savings left, many are forced to borrow money, often with interest, pawn personal belongings, or rely on relatives for support. Others are left cutting back on basic needs just to cope with debts incurred during the wake and burial. “By the time the assistance arrives, the wake is over, the burial is over, but the debts remain and the suffering continues,” Alcover said.
Call for Accountability
While stopping short of directly blaming any office, the councilor underscored the need for accountability and transparency in the processing of burial assistance. He raised concerns over possible causes of the delay, including funding constraints, administrative bottlenecks, lack of personnel, or layers of bureaucracy that may be slowing down the release of aid. “These are questions we owe our constituents answers to,” he said.
Executive Session Proposed
To address the issue, Alcover formally moved for an executive session involving key offices such as the Burial Assistance Office, Accounting Office, and City Budget Office, along with other departments involved in the processing and disbursement of the aid. The proposed closed-door discussion aims to determine the root cause of the delays and explore necessary legislative measures, policy reforms, and administrative interventions to ensure the timely release of assistance moving forward. Alcover also requested the Council Secretariat to invite representatives from the concerned offices to shed light on the issue and provide updates on the status of pending applications.
The councilor emphasized that while social assistance programs are crucial, their effectiveness ultimately depends on how quickly and efficiently they are delivered, especially during moments of grief. “As public servants, our responsibility does not end in creating programs. We must make sure these reach our people when they need them the most,” he said.
