Drinking while grieving: Filipinos turn to alcohol to remember departed loved ones during ‘Undas’ – Study

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



Many people worldwide turn to alcohol when coping with grief, usually from watching a loved one pass on, breaking up with a partner, or dealing with a personal or financial loss. However, on some occasions, alcohol is widely considered as something that makes people feel good and elevates their mood. Filipinos have found a way to incorporate both into the holiday that commemorates their departed loved ones.

Packworks Sari IQ finds that sales of alcoholic beverages jumped up to 14.29% from October 31 to November 2, 2021 from 11.10% on October 1 to 30, 2021. The data sets compare a month of a typical day’s worth of market share to the three-day “Undas” holiday last year.

“This is expected as Filipinos consider ‘Undas’ as a time to remember loved ones in a social context, meaning a lot of gatherings that revolve the consumption of alcoholic beverages is common,” Packworks Chief Data Officer Andres Montiel said.

According to Sari IQ data, different alcoholic drinks dominated the market share during the holiday last year, with Brandy rising from 1.65% for normal days to 2.70% during the holiday; Rum from 2.42% to 3.20%; Gin from 5.32% to 5.94%; and Beer from 1.14% to 1.61%

On the other hand, cigarettes decreased by 1.02% in market share even though it recorded the highest percentage during the normal period (21.91%) and the holidays (20.92%).

“The decrease may be because, in a period of solemnity in the presence of the dead, we stay away from products that may have caused the death of our loved ones. A poignant reminder that life is short and people want to enjoy it longer,” Montiel added.

On the other hand, sales of Tea, Coffee, and Creamers decreased by 0.65% during the same period.

“This might be due to people sleeping late nights in the cemetery, drinking alcohol, and not waking up early to have their morning coffee or tea,” Montiel expressed.

Even with the increasing market share for alcohol, Sari IQ finds that daily sales during “Undas” were typically lower than in the whole month of October, where total sales daily decreased by 19.78%.

Montiel said, “this might be due to people leaving their houses to visit graves; thus, some local sari-sari stores might be closed during this time to celebrate the long holiday at their home province or in the cemetery.”


‘Sin’ products continued patronage

These “sin” products have been heavily taxed by the government as part of its Universal Health Care Program, as the duties from these products may be a potential revenue source that will help the program.

According to the Sin Tax Bill, higher taxes and consequently higher costs will discourage the consumption of Filipinos from these “sin” products, especially cigarettes that cause lung cancer, which is the leading form of cancer in the country.

However, based on the data presented, Filipinos continue patronizing the use of “sin” products by buying from these sari-sari stores even though prices have increased due to the higher tax imposed.

Manila Central Post Office earns ISO certification

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The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) main Post Office branch at the Manila Central Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio earned its ISO 9001:2015 certification following the successful establishment of its Quality Management System (QMS).

The certification was issued by WQA Phils Inc., an international certification body that provides quality certification services for various kinds of management systems in diverse sectors, in a simple handover of certificate ceremony witnessed by post office officials and employees led by Postmaster General Norman Fulgencio today, November 02, 2022.

The Post Office was regularly and rigorously assessed based on internationally recognized standards to demonstrate the competence, impartiality, and performance capability of post office services.

It underwent a successful 2-stage audit, verifying how the Manila Central Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio operates a management system that has been assessed in conformity with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 with the scope "Acceptance, Processing, Dispatching and Delivery of Mails and Parcels to and from Manila”.

“The Post Office is an important institution created by our forefathers to connect to the world through communication and it should not only be protected and sustained but also improved. We, postal workers, are guardians in ensuring that we evolve and improve the postal experience in this changing world through ISO certification and technology”, Postmaster General Norman Fulgencio said.

He added, “This is a testament to our commitment to strengthen and continuously improve our products and services and to go beyond public expectations”.

Several initiatives such as training of officials and employees on Quality Management Systems and setting up of QMS structures and teams were achieved in assessing and monitoring the compliance of the required standards.

The Philippine Post Office has launched several initiatives to innovate and modernize its services which is timely and relevant, as it facilitates the efficient delivery of communications, payment of services, as well as goods and merchandise, especially now that industries and businesses shift their operations to more modern methods such as e-commerce and online transactions.

“We commit to regularly review and improve our system and processes to ensure continuous compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015”, Fulgencio said.

ISO, or the International Organization for Standardization, is an independent, non-governmental, international organization that develops standards to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of products, services, and systems.

Save the Children Philippines deploys rapid assessment teams to aid children, families affected by Tropical Storm Paeng

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At the onset of tropical storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae), Save the Children Philippines immediately deployed humanitarian response teams on Friday, 28 October, to conduct rapid assessment on impacted areas in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Samar, Panay Island, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Around 4.5 million people, of which 1.4 million are children, have been affected based on initial reports. The figures are expected to increase as Paeng is poised to strengthen and become the 16th typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2022.

In Maguindanao, Save the Children’s response teams are on the ground assessing the situation and needs of children and families. 67 of the 72 deaths recorded so far are from Maguindanao where about 78,000 families were reportedly affected by severe flooding.

Meanwhile, Save the Children’s response teams in Luzon and Visayas, along with teams from civil society organization partners, are currently monitoring and responding to the urgent needs of the affected families and children.

Save the Children is readying the immediate dispatch of prepositioned relief items. These include plastic sheets that can be used as temporary shelters to displaced families, vital household items and family hygiene kits to prevent the spread of diseases, school supplies for children and teachers, and temporary learning spaces to safely resume classes.

Jerome Balinton, Humanitarian Manager of Save the Children Philippines, said: “Speeding up the recovery of affected families and effective disaster preparedness measures are being done to ensure that no children are left behind, in times of emergencies.”

Atty. Alberto Muyot, CEO of Save the Children Philippines said: “In any crisis, children are always the most vulnerable. The message is loud and clear: children are most impacted by the climate crisis. That is why the whole of society must act now to safeguard future generations.”

Save the Children Philippines is relentlessly working with the government and its partners to ensure children’s continued survival, education, and protection every day and in times of crisis.


Caption for photo:

Save the Children Philippines humanitarian team assessing the damage brought by tropical storm Paeng. Photo taken on October 29, 2022. Photo by Save the Children Philippines