Hanggang Sa Kabilang Buhay Services (HSKBS)
As perceived upon, local government units are supposed to provide basic services to its constituents in a form of health assistance, housing, quality education livelihood support and the like. With all these, it seems that there is one thing equally important is forgotten and taken for granted - the family, specially when a loved one dies. Everything that the government has done – everything that one has worked for and saved … either personally or given all of these may suddenly vanish in due time.
In a given situation like this the incumbent Tagaytay City Mayor realized the need to come up with a program or project that would somehow ease the burden of the bereaved particularly in burial expenses by providing decent and yet affordable funeral services.
Having conducted series of meetings, discussions and consultation with the City Officials and Barangay Chairmen of various barangays, the City Mayor finally issued an Executive Order dated 14 February (E.O. #56) – an order establishing the “HANGGANG SA KABILANG BUHAY SERVICES (HSKBS)”. And to institutionalize the program, the same E.O was adopted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod by virtue of City Ordinance No. 2005-329 dated 21 February 2005. The program was formally inaugurated on June 21, 2005 during the 67th Araw ng Tagaytay Celebration.
The City Mayor gave assurance to the public that program implementation will not be selective; there will be no biases and discrimination regardless of political beliefs/affiliation. It is open for everybody provided that the person who avail the program is a legitimate resident of the city.
As embodied in the E.O., a minimal fee of Php5,000.00 will be charged to the beneficiary for the funeral services. Then based on numerous request from the constituents to expand/upgrade the type of caskets being provided by HSKBS, Executive Order No. 65 was issued – amending E.O. # 56 specifically Section II par. J thereof. Thus, beneficiaries can have now three (3) options: 1) Php5,000.00 for an ordinary casket; 2) Php10,000.00 for metal half-open casket; and 3) Php15,000.00 for metal full- open casket. As of end of July 2007, 330 families have already benefited from the program.
Based on feedbacks received, the program is perceived as “pro-people and pro-poor”. With this program, the city residents somehow gained a sense of “security and leverage” – that when unavoidable circumstance of death comes, the city government is there – ready to help. The program promotes equality and transcends political differences.
The program has also paved the way to creating livelihood opportunity for the women sector of the city - the Kababaihan Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran ng Tagaytay (KKKT). They are the exclusive supplier of flowers and candles of HSKBS.
