Most present-day Filipinos, like their ancestors, believe in some form of an afterlife and give considerable attention to honouring the dead.[1] Except amongst Filipino Muslims (who are obliged to bury a corpse less than 24 hours after death), a wake is generally held from three days to a week.[2] Wakes in rural areas are usually held in the home, while in urban settings the dead is typically displayed in a funeral home. Apart from spreading the news about someone’s death verbally,[2] obituaries are also published in newspapers. Although the majority of the Filipino people are Christians,[3] they have retained some traditional indigenous beliefs concerning death.