Funeral practices and burial customs in the Philippines

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During the Pre-Hispanic period the early Filipinos believed in a concept of life after death.^[1] This belief, which stemmed from indigenous ancestral veneration and was strengthened by strong family and community relations within tribes, prompted the Filipinos to create burial customs to honor the dead through prayers and rituals. Due to different cultures from various regions of the Philippines, many different burial practices have emerged. For example, the Manobos buried their dead in trees, the Ifugaos seated the corpse on a chari before it was brought to a cave and buried elsewhere.^[2] The most common forms of traditional burials are supine pits, earthenware jars, and log coffins, and have been a topic of interest among Philippine archaeologists since the early 20th century.

Present-day Filipinos have retained the belief of life after death from their ancestors but generally practice Western religions such as Catholicism. The most prominent contemporary practice of honoring the dead is by holding a wake and a following mourning period.^[3] Modern traditions reflect indigenous values as well as influences of the Philippines' Spanish, American, and Chinese inhabitants.