c. Classification. Funeral Establishments shall be classified in three (3) categories which are as follows:
i. Category I – Establishments with chapels, and embalming facilities and offering funeral services;
ii. Category II – Establishment with chapels and offering funeral services but without embalming facilities;
iii. Category III – Establishments offering only funeral services from the house of the deceased to the burial ground.
d. For embalming and dressing rooms:
i. They should be constructed of concrete or semi-concrete materials with sufficient space to accommodate five (5) bodies at one time. Existing embalming houses/facilities located nearby residential houses shall be relocated at an area as specified and provided for in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of the Municipality.
ii. The floors and walls shall be made of concrete or other durable impervious materials.
iii. Ventilation and lighting should be adequately provided.
iv. Embalming shall be performed on a table made of a single marble slab or other equally impervious materials. It shall be constructed that all washing and body fluids shall flow to a drain connected to the waste piping system of the building.
v. Embalmers and assistants shall use rubber gloves, masks, face shields and personal protective equipment (ppe) when working.
vi. Washing facilities with soaps, detergents and germicidal solutions shall be provided for use of the working personnel.
Sec. 79. Issuance of License. The issuance of license to undertakers and the embalmers are subject to the following requirements:
a. Issuance of license to practice by the DOH:
i. Any person who desires to practice undertaking or embalming shall be licensed to practice only after passing an examination conducted by the DOH.
ii. Licensed undertakers or embalmers shall practice undertaking or embalming in accordance with requirements prescribed by the DOH.
iii. Licensed undertakers and embalmers shall display their licenses conspicuously in the establishment where they work.
b. Issuance of certificates of registration:
i. An undertaker or embalmer shall apply annually for a registration certificate and pay an annual registration fee to the Regional Health Office concerned.
Sec. 80. Use of Remains for Medical Studies and Scientific Studies. Unclaimed remains may be used to medical schools and scientific institutions for studies and research subject to the rules and regulations prescribed by the DOH.
Sec. 81. Special Precautions for Safe Handling of Cadavers Containing Radioactive Isotopes.
a. Cadavers containing only traces (very small dose) of radioactive isotope do not require any special handling precautions.
