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Drinking while grieving: Pinoys drink alcohol to mark ‘Undas’ - study

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Workers apply fresh paint and spruce up graves at the Barangka Cemetery in Marikina City on October 25, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/10/29/20221025-undas-barangka-cemetery-jc-2310.jpg"/><figcaption>Workers apply fresh paint and spruce up graves at the Barangka Cemetery in Marikina City on October 25, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Many people worldwide turn to alcohol when coping with grief, usually from watching a loved one pass on, breaking up with a partner, or dealing with a personal or financial loss. However, on some occasions, alcohol could elevate one&#x27;s mood. In the Philippines, some people have found a way to incorporate alcohol in a holiday that commemorates their departed loved ones, popularly known as “Undas.”Data analytics platform Packworks found that alcoholic beverages accounted for 14.29 percent of sari-sari store sales from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, 2021, compared to 11.10 percent on Oct. 1 to 30, 2021. The data sets compared sales during the 3-day “Undas” holiday last year and sales during a typical day in October 2021. “This is expected as Filipinos consider ‘Undas’ as a time to remember loved ones in a social context, meaning a lot of gatherings that revolve the consumption of alcoholic beverages is common,” Packworks Chief Data Officer Andres Montiel said.Packworks aimed to unlock new valuable insight on the days during “Undas” to see consumer behavior as Filipinos remember the dead. According to Packworks&#x27; business intelligence tool Sari IQ, different alcoholic drinks dominated the market share during the holiday last year, with brandy rising to 2.70 percent during the holiday from 1.65 percent for normal days; rum to 3.20 percent from 2.42 percent; gin to 5.94 percent from 5.32 percent; and beer to 1.61 percent from 1.14 percent.On the other hand, cigarettes decreased by 1.02 percent even though it recorded the highest percentage during the normal period (21.91 percent) and the holidays (20.92 percent).“The decrease may be because, in a period of solemnity in the presence of the dead, we stay away from products that may have caused the death of our loved ones. A poignant reminder that life is short and people want to enjoy it longer,” Montiel added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/life/10/28/21/mga-kuwento-sa-likod-ng-ilang-tradisyon-tuwing-undas">Alam N&#x27;yo Ba: Bakit nagtitirik ng kandila para sa mga yumao tuwing Undas?</a></li></ul>Meanwhile, sales of tea, coffee, and creamers went down by 0.65 percent in the same period. “This might be due to people sleeping late nights in the cemetery, drinking alcohol, and not waking up early to have their morning coffee or tea,” Montiel continued.Even with the increasing market share for alcohol, Sari IQ revealed that daily sales during “Undas” were typically lower than in the whole month of October, where total sales daily decreased by 19.78 percent.“This might be due to people leaving their houses to visit graves. Thus, some local sari-sari stores might be closed during this time to celebrate the long holiday at their home province or in the cemetery,” Montiel said. Alcohol and cigarettes are considered “sin” products in the country, having been heavily taxed by the government as part of its Universal Health Care Program. According to the Sin Tax Bill, higher taxes and consequently higher prices will discourage the consumption of Filipinos from these products, especially cigarettes that could cause lung cancer, the leading form of cancer in the country.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/08/15/21/smoking-killed-769-mil-people-around-world-in-2019">Smoking killed 7.69 mil. people around world in 2019</a></li></ul>However, based on the data presented, Filipinos continue patronizing the “sin” products from these sari-sari stores even though prices have increased due to the higher tax imposed.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/27/19/will-cigarette-smuggling-worsen-with-sin-tax-hike">Will cigarette smuggling worsen with sin tax hike?</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/01/22/higher-taxes-on-alcohol-cigarettes-now-in-effect">Higher taxes on alcohol, cigarettes now in effect</a></li></ul>RELATED VIDEO<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JL5d7dQFk8w?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

In the Philippines, some people have found a way to incorporate alcohol in a holiday that commemorates their departed loved ones, known as 'Undas.'