Grief makes decision-making so complex and onerous: How to begin preparations for the funeral? What services need to be engaged? Who and where to turn to for all these needs while dealing with the shock and loss and heartache.
This prompted Benjie Dychangco, a funeral industry veteran whose family has been in the business for decades now, to come up with the Onora app—a marriage of digital technology and generations of experience in the functional and emotional side of funerals and memorials.
“Onora means honor in the Gaelic language, and we believe that to honor a loved one should be the only thing that you focus on during this trying time. With Onora, we hope to make the grieving process just a little bit easier,” he said.
Onora, the first and only funeral service app in the country which is now available on Google Play Store, gathers over 500 funeral service homes across the country into one platform. It offers over 2,000 services ranging from burial, cremation, catering, flower arrangements, obituaries, to photographers, among others.
Dychango said while availing of the services has gone digital, the personal touch remains a key feature of the Onora system.
“We have a 24-hour customer service hotline to deal with bereaved families. On top of that, we have product specialists who will meet with the families at the funeral home of their choice,” he said.
Bereaved families may pay using their credit cards or through a Paypal account, which is convenient for overseas Filipino workers who usually shell out funds for their relatives in the Philippines during times of grief.
“[This app] will make it easier for OFW families to help them move forward during difficult times,” said Hans Cacdac, administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
Asked whether he believes Filipinos would not think it morbid to download the app, Dychangco said: “A funeral can happen perhaps only once in your lifetime, but it is better to Onora in your smartphones.”
“You may not need it now, but when you need it, Onora is there for you,” Dychangco added.