Mourning in the digital age: How Filipinos are remembering differently

From lamayan to Facebook memorials, Philippine grief rituals are evolving — merging tradition and technology, fostering enduring connection.

- By KATHERINE L. MAGSANOC

In the Philippines, mourning has long followed familiar rhythms: wakes (lamay), nine-day novenas (pasiyam), the 40th-day memorial (babang-luksa), community visitation, and shared meals.

But during the COVID19 pandemic, families who lost loved ones experienced truncated wakes, absent visitors, and restricted funerals (or ones done over Zoom). Bereaved Filipino families said health protocols disrupted usual mourning practices, making connection and following age-old rituals more difficult.

Today, many Filipinos blend old and new: they hold a shortened wake, then continue posting photos, prayers or remembrances online, keeping the ritual going. This hybrid of tradition and tech reflects how the cultural fabric is shifting.

CONTINUING BONDS, NOT JUST LETTING GO