While the pandemic has brought the world to a standstill for most of the past two years, with businesses across almost all industries taking a big hit if not being totally shuttered, two leaders in the death care industry in the Philippines have quietly introduced new initiatives into the field of memorial services in Metro Manila.
The 121-year-old Nacional, along with changing its name from Nacional Memorial Homes to Nacional Chapels and Crematory, recently opened the doors to its new home — a modern five-storey building that was built from the ground up on its old location on Araneta Avenue in Quezon City.
The Heritage Park, meanwhile, unveiled its newest offering — an area called Memory Place that was specially designed for the needs of large families.
With these simultaneous developments, Rosehills Memorial Management Philippines Inc., the management firm behind both The Heritage Park and Nacional Chapels and Crematory, further established itself as the premier single brand death care provider in Metro Manila.
Premier Chapel at The Chapels at Heritage Park
It’s a testament to Rosehills’ commitment to innovation and excellence that it forged ahead mostly as planned despite all the logistical restrictions and a slowdown in the business in the last two years.
“Like most industries, the memorial business was affected at the start of the pandemic, with movement of people and mass gatherings limited due to the quarantine restrictions. However, as the final frontliners in this pandemic, we continue to provide comfort to those who lost their loved ones, whether due to COVID or other causes,” says Rosehills President and CEO Lia Enriquez.
“If our industry doesn’t want to be shocked again by changes such as what happened during this pandemic, we need to have foresight,” she notes.
The Memory Place in the Heritage Park allows for 2 above ground burials perfect for families who want to honor their loved ones.
Prime Investment
Located within minutes from Bonifacio Global City, and with access from major thoroughfares such as C5, EDSA, and SLEX, The Heritage Park provides an ideal space for upscale and affluent Filipino families to lay their dearly departed.
In fact, it has the most distinguished clientele among memorial parks in the country, being the final resting place of high-ranking public officials, business tycoons, and entertainment luminaries including Henry Sy, Sr., former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., and Dolphy.
The Heritage Park’s newest offering provides even more space for its clients. The Memory Place boasts properties that allow for 2 above-ground burials, 4 full-body below ground burials, and 16 below ground urn burials. There is perhaps no better way to keep families together for life and beyond.
“At Memory Place, we celebrate the strong ties that bind large families and we want to keep them intact even after passing on,” Enriquez says. She notes that Memory Place is located in a special area within Heritage.
“Eternal blessings will flow to the children and their children’s children for those who will be buried here,” she quotes a feng shui expert. “It also has the Dragon side on the right side as the descendants approach the area. This means health and wealth will be bestowed upon them.”
If that makes The Heritage Park sound like a good investment, it’s because it is.
Unparalleled Service
And just like any piece of prime real estate, The Heritage Park offers a suite of affordable properties and a full menu of topnotch services, including its renowned funeral home, The Chapels at Heritage Park.
The Chapels at Heritage Park
The Chapels at Heritage Park has played its role in recent history, being the memorial chapel of choice for top political officials, business leaders, and other men and women who have shaped the country. With its 10 spacious chapels, crematory and wide parking area, The Chapels at Heritage Park provides unparalleled care and comfort to the families and loved ones left behind.
The Chapels at Heritage Park also lends itself to high-profile funerals, with its trained personnel, space for media, and strict security protocols. They operate in strict confidence, protecting clients’ privacy, and within the international standards of service and care.
More than 100 years in providing care and comfort
Originally planned as a renovation project, Rosehills decided in 2018 to tear down the old Nacional Memorial Homes building to make way for a bigger facility to meet the needs of clients. The new building took 3 years to construct and finish and is one of the biggest undertakings in the memorial services industry in the last ten years.
NOW OPEN. Nacional Chapels and Crematory
The company wanted to give clients a unique space to celebrate the life of their dearly beloved while, at the same time, making new memories with relatives and friends. Enriquez says, “The new Nacional Chapels and Crematory is really more about those who have been left behind even as it gives those who have passed on the fitting and dignified venue for the celebration of life.”
The building houses 15 well-appointed chapels with various designs and several sizes to suit different family preferences and to satisfy varying accommodation needs. Nine of these chapels have family rooms with their own bedroom, dining area, and toilet and bath. Exuding a warm ambiance, these rooms provide families an extra space for rest and other important activities away from their guests.
Pioneering services
During the pandemic, Rosehills introduced their live video streaming of funeral services. They also provide digital platforms for families to connect via teleconferencing with their loved ones abroad.
“We believe tech-driven memorial services will be the standard practice for memorial services even after the pandemic,” Enriquez notes. With communication technology, relatives from other parts of the country or from abroad can still take part in memorial services. Video streaming serves as a suitable alternative to connect family members to pay their last respects and to grieve together.
“Memorial services won’t be complete without friends and family around. It’s part of the grieving process and memorial service providers just had to come up with ways to accommodate this need for our clients,” Enriquez adds.
Aside from funeral practices, Rosehills accommodates changes in the perspective and behavior of their clients when it comes to death and the expenses that go with it. The pandemic highlighted the practical and economical aspects of preparing for eventualities such as our own or a loved one’s passing.
Much like any other industry during the pandemic, memorial service providers had to recalibrate their outlook of how their business would be ten or twenty years from now. Rosehills Memorial Management has always understood that the only way for them to survive is to stay attuned to their client’s needs.
“Aside from the pandemic, it is technology that largely influenced the behavior and preferences of our clients. We cannot just keep up. We need to thrive, and for Rosehills that meant breathing new blood and new life to the industry as much as we could,” concludes Enriquez.
Heritage Park website – www.heritagememorialpark.com.ph
contact number- 02 8845-2335 to 37 and 09176395887
The Chapels at Heritage Park
contact number- 02 8845 2440 and 09178905852
Nacional Chapels and Crematory
contact number- 02 8713 5231 and 09178693771
ADVT.