The Lived Experiences of Bereaved Filipino Families of the Deceased Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The typical highlight of Filipino mourning of conducting funerals and burials has ceased due to recent health guidelines which required the deceased, who tested positive for the virus, to be cremated and buried right away to avoid further spread of the disease – making bereavement more complicated. This paper investigates the experiences of bereaved Filipino families who lost their loved ones to COVID-19 through a qualitative research design. Researchers explored the experiences of at least three (3) COVID-19 bereaved families through a descriptive phenomenological approach and analyzed the data using thematic analysis to extract the bereavement process experienced by the participants. The findings of the study highlight the changes to the Filipino funeral practice caused by the pandemic and the major roles of connectedness, and cultural and religious beliefs in the Filipino bereavement experience.