Cebu City's Outstanding Payments to Funeral Services Still Awaiting Settlement by the Local Government
Cebu City's Unpaid Debts to Funeral Service Provider Reach Over a Million Pesos
Cebu City is facing a significant financial burden as unpaid debts to a funeral service provider continue to accumulate. The oldest debt, dating back to November 2015 and April 2016, amounts to P861,000 for funeral services provided to indigent constituents. This debt has persisted through three city administrations, including the current one under Mayor Nestor Archival, remaining unsettled for nearly nine years as of 2025.
Additional unpaid obligations include P200,000 worth of services extended in January 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and funeral services worth P80,000 provided in June 2022 after a fatal accident involving a city garbage truck, with only half paid, leaving a P40,000 balance.
The funeral service provider, who offers fees below market rates as a public service concession, has expressed frustration over nonpayment, broken promises, and neglect from the city government. Despite repeated follow-ups, the debts remain unresolved.
Mayor Archival's administration has not made any explicit statements or actions regarding these liabilities, suggesting that any measures taken have not yet resulted in full settlement. The persistence of unpaid obligations up to mid-2025 points to this conclusion.
The funeral service provider, who has been treating the city's poorest residents with dignity and compassion, even when payment was uncertain, hopes that the new administration will value fairness and integrity. They look forward to prompt and swift action in resolving the unpaid debts once and for all.
This pattern of delayed payments for critical service providers seems to be recurring under former Cebu City officials. Other essential service providers, such as hospitals and clinics, have also endured long payment delays. Despite being law-abiding, tax-paying citizens, the organization has faced neglect, broken promises, and a refusal to settle debts from the Cebu City Government.
The funeral service provider sincerely hopes that the new administration ensures that those who serve the city's people, especially its most vulnerable, are compensated without unjust delay. They stand ready to continue serving the city's people, but the way they have been treated is disheartening and unacceptable.
| Debt Item | Amount (PHP) | Period Covered | Paid Status | Notes | |------------------------------------------|--------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------| | Funeral services for indigents | 861,000 | Nov 2015 - Apr 2016 | Unpaid | Oldest outstanding debt | | Services extended during COVID-19 | 200,000 | Jan 2022 | Unpaid | Additional debt | | Funeral services after garbage truck accident | 80,000 | June 2022 | Half paid (40,000 unpaid) | Partial payment only |
- The unpaid debts from the Cebu City government towards a funeral service provider extend to various sectors, including services rendered during the COVID-19 pandemic and after a fatal accident involving a city garbage truck.
- The government's financial issues are raised in the general news, as the unpaid debt to the funeral service provider, amounting to over a million pesos, has lingered since 2015 and is yet to be resolved under the new administration.
- The lingering debts raise concerns about the city government's relationship with essential service providers, particularly in the banking and insurance, finance, and politics sectors.
- Amidst criticisms for broken promises and neglect, the funeral service provider hopes for a change in stance from the Cebu City government, looking forward to fair compensation and timely settlement of their long-standing debts.
