Grieving the loss of a loved one is a painful experience, but it becomes even more overwhelming when you lack the means to provide them with the resting haven they deserve. For Shaina, a 21-year-old resident of Purok 6B in La Union, Cabadbaran City, the sudden death of her 7-month-old sister is a heartbreaking tragedy for her family.
Shaina’s sister had been a bubbly and joyful child, showing no signs of illness. But fate played in the most painful way. After suffering from a high fever, Shaina’s sister was rushed to the hospital, where they found out that she was battling a severe condition called sepsis — a life-threatening reaction to infection that causes a dangerous drop in blood pressure and can lead to organ damage. Unfortunately, the baby did not survive, leaving the family in deep sorrow. While the emotional pain was crushing, the financial burden added another layer of difficulty during an already trying time.
Prioritizing the hospital bills, Shaina’s family struggled to find the means to pay for her sister’s burial. Despite these challenges, the baby’s body was taken to Solania Suarez Memorial Homes, where the family was able to arrange a 3-day wake without any down payment. The Memorial Homes then referred them to the DSWD Field Office Caraga, where they were able to receive burial assistance through the AICS program.
“𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘬𝘰 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘮𝘪 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘩𝘶𝘥 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺, 7 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘺𝘢, 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘪 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘢 𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭. 𝘋𝘢𝘭𝘪 𝘳𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘥 𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘺𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘢 𝘶𝘨 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘶𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘪 𝘴𝘢 𝘋𝘚𝘞𝘋, 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘬𝘰 (I am really thankful that we received help because we did not have the means to give my sister a wake. She was only 7 months old, and we no longer have to worry because they will cover all the burial expenses. The process of receiving the assistance was also easy. DSWD helped us, and I am truly grateful),” Shaina told DSWD Caraga.
Death is an inevitable part of life, but no one is ever truly prepared for its coming — not the one who passes nor those they leave behind. The Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Intervention Program (AICS) under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) seeks to ease the financial burdens faced by families, especially those from disadvantaged sectors, in the wake of a loved one’s sudden death. By providing burial assistance, the program helps ease both the emotional and financial weight of losing a loved one, allowing families to focus on healing rather than the stress of funeral expenses.
