No More Surprises in the Books

For siblings Angel and Ancel Brillantes, the funeral services industry is a lifelong commitment. Having grown up immersed in their father’s business since the 1970s, they now carry on the legacy through Angel B. Brillantes Jr. Funeral Homes, Inc., a trusted mortuary service provider in Davao.

Recently, the Brillantes siblings participated in the SME Forum hosted by BDO Unibank, where they were introduced to the bank’s Cash Management Services (CMS). These solutions have equipped them to eliminate inefficiencies in their operations—particularly the risks tied to manual payroll distribution.

“We’re excited to streamline our processes with BDO’s support and minimize the risk of theft,” said Ancel Brillantes, Vice President of the company. “Manual payroll distribution across branches left us vulnerable to ghost employees and inflated payrolls. With BDO handling our payroll, everything is now verified and secure—there’s no room for manipulation.”

Modern Payroll, Secure Operations

At the Usapang Negosyo SME Forum held at the Davao Convention and Trade Center, the Brillantes siblings and other entrepreneurs saw how BDO’s SME solutions—ranging from automated payroll and check disbursement to Business Online Banking—can drive efficiency.

Before switching to BDO, the funeral home managed payroll by manually placing cash in envelopes and sending checks across branches—a labor-intensive process that took up to two days.

“Building trust around payroll is tough, especially with a growing team. With automation, we can confidently expand into new areas, knowing that every transaction is secure and traceable,” Ancel added.

BDO also supports employees by enabling them to open personal bank accounts for salary deposits—promoting financial literacy and a culture of saving.

“Most of our employees didn’t have bank accounts. When you’re paid in cash, it’s easy to spend everything. But with funds going straight into a bank account, they’re more likely to save,” Ancel noted.

Efficiency Beyond Payroll

BDO’s CMS tools are also helping the business simplify check disbursement. Now, the company can process and release checks at the end of each month—even when the Brillantes siblings are away from the office.

“We used to go through several steps just to process a single check, which led to delayed payments,” Ancel explained. “With BDO, the system includes filtering mechanisms and acknowledgement receipts that make it easier to monitor, revise, and reconcile checks—remotely and efficiently.”

With branches across Davao and Iloilo, Angel B. Brillantes Jr. Funeral Homes is preparing for further expansion and looks forward to strengthening its partnership with BDO.