The funeral sector claims its essential service role as the last link in the health chain

>> The 1st International Congress of Funeral Directors organized by Funergal convened 24 speakers from 4 countries and was followed by 250 professionals, both online and in person from Expourense

>> During the worst of the pandemic, funeral companies suffered economic losses of up to 50% and strengthened their workforce by between 10 and 15%

The 1st Congress on Funeral Directors organized by Funergal as a substitute for the postponement of the fair became the only meeting point for the sector held this year, summoning 24 speakers from 4 countries and bringing together 250 professionals in person from Expourense or online. This second day of the congress was focused on how the sector is experiencing the health crisis caused by COVID-19.

“The note from the funeral sector during the pandemic is Honor Roll”, with these words the vice president of PANASEF (National Association of Funeral Services), Juan José López Vivas, described the work carried out by professionals this morning. This last day of the congress began with a round table in which representatives of different professional associations from Galicia, Spain and Portugal, analyzed how the health crisis was affecting them, making it clear that they are “an essential sector that has lived up to the circumstances providing quality services ”. During this roundtable, the sector, the last link in the health chain, complained about the great confusion and lack of coordination regarding the measures and protocols that had to be followed in the first weeks of the pandemic and made it clear that the funeral directors have professionally and personally delivered themselves to his clients becoming one of the family when no more than three relatives could attend the funerals.

The vice president of PANASEF also wanted to clarify that the pandemic did not bring any benefit to funeral companies “Among the main difficulties imposed by the coronavirus, in addition to the increase in workload and uncertainty, there have been economic losses of up to 50% since that the pandemic started and companies have had to reinforce our workforce between 10 and 15% ”, explained Juan José López Vivas. “The health crisis has put funeral homes in all kinds of severe difficulties, especially organizational and financial. But it has been accomplished in an outstanding way, “he said.

Among the measures taken to deal with the complications of the health crisis, the speakers pointed to the reinforcement of staff, the training of workers and the purchase of enough materials to provide the service with guarantees. PANASEF has also requested that the Government incorporate funeral homes to the committee of experts that advises on the management of the pandemic.

Related to the pandemic was also the presentation given by the Chief of the Environmental Risk Control Service. Territorial Headquarters of the Department of Health in Ourens, José Martínez Grande, who made a summary of the prevention measures against COVID-19 in Galicia in the area of ​​Mortuary Health.

The internationalization of funeral products and services was another of the common threads of this second day of the congress through the presentation of the vice president of the Australia Spain Business Association, Juan Millán, who is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce Spain-Canada and delegate in Madrid of the Chamber of Commerce of Peru in Spain, as well as CEO of Gedeth Network. Millán began his conference with a study, carried out in collaboration with the University of Sydney, which measured that the impact that Covid-19 has caused on international business and that it has encrypted 25%, “an important but not catastrophic data” he explained.

Millán recalled that the crisis can be an opportunity and among the hundreds of existing markets, he wanted to highlight the Latin American for its historical ties with Spain, as one of the great opportunities to explore, always without forgetting large niches such as the US or the Nordic countries. He also gave the keys to succeed in the foreign market: economic capacity, patience and generation of confidence. He also indicated that the foreign market has to go out of strategy and not out of necessity: “success does not lie so much in the price, since there will always be someone cheaper than us, but in the ability we have to generate trust and be perceived as allies” .

The afternoon session was dedicated to the presentation of innovative products contributed by the CIDAF companies, the new division of funeral articles of the IDETER company, recently created and presented for the first time at this congress; INFUNER that presented its folding pieces of recycled and recyclable material to present to the deceased; Vivo Recuerdo presented us with its “Window of Memories”, a digital screen that celebrates the life of the deceased from anywhere in the world in real time and that has transformed the experience of families in the funeral home. This shift ended with the presentation of the website www.jamaste-lex.europa.euéremos.com, which invites funeral homes to send the families of the deceased details that remind them of dates such as the Day of the Faithful.

It also included a panel on the ecological transition in the funeral sector in which the Funexpo fair in Madrid collaborated with which Funergal maintains close collaboration. The Vice President of Funexpo, Dolores Asensi; the journalist specialized in environmental information and director of the Ecogestiona program (Radio Intereconomía), Javier Martínez, and the head of Smart Mobility Companies and Iberdrola, David García Mancera.

The closing conference was given by the executive communication advisor, Enrique Sueiro, who recommended using “more compass and less chronometer.”

This Congress has had the support of the Provincial Council of Ourense and Galicia Tourism since complementary activities include visits to Ribadavia, the historic center of Ourense and the Ribeira Sacra that will be tomorrow Saturday. It also has the collaboration of important companies such as PARCESA, Vivo Recuerdo, CIDAF, IDETER or INFUNER and the main professional associations of the sector at the regional, state and peninsular level (PANASEF, AFCM, ALPAR, FEGASERFU, AGESEF, APEFO, APPSF and ANEL ).