ON THE FRINGES OF CARRETA CEMETERY, AN HONEST LIVING SET IN STONE
Despite being a seasonal business, tombstone carver Eddie Abregana has managed to provide for his family by selling tombstones outside a cemetery
For nearly four decades, Eddie Abregana has made a living in the service of the dead and their memories. Outside the Carreta Cemetery, one of Cebu City’s busiest, he engraves tombstones, using a chisel to shape the letters and shapes he first draws in pencil. He makes P1,500 for most projects, but can make as much as P35,000 for a special tombstone made of granite. October and November are the busiest months for Abregana and others who share his trade. Despite some hard times, he has supported 13 siblings and sent his children to school using his earnings. One of his children now works as an accountant in Qatar.
Mao man ni akong nadak-an. Hangtud kaya nako, maghimo gyud ko ug lapida. EDDIE ABREGANA, 53
Since the 1980s, Eddie Abregana has taken on a job that serves the dead.
As one of the pioneer tombstone carvers stationed outside Carreta Cemetery in Cebu City, Abregana found a lifetime career in making tombstones, a skill he learned since he was 16 years old.
First, he draws in pencil the letters and design onto the stone. Then, he uses chisels to carve the lines and shapes.
This he has been doing for nearly four decades.
At 53, Eddie said there is no stopping his work as long as he is able, despite having a more comfortable life now, with one of his four children in Qatar working as an accountant.
“Mao man ni akong nadak-an. Hangtud kaya nako, maghimo gyud ko og lapida (As long as I can do this, I will continue),” Eddie told SunStar Cebu while working on a marble tombstone.
Eddie’s line of work has supported his 13 siblings. And when he finally settled down, tombstone carving was his way to provide for his family’s needs.
However, it is not always good business for the engraver.
It is only during October and November that the demand for tombstones is highest. As much as possible, he takes as many orders to compensate for the lean days where he only gets two to three orders a month.
He earns P1,500 for one tombstone made out of marble, while he can make as much as P35,000 for one granite tombstone marked with stainless steel letters. Since October, Eddie said, he has received over 20 orders.
His customers mostly come from Cebu City, although some come from outside Cebu. “Naila naman ni ang Carreta sa mga lapida, so kung naay magpahimo, ari ra dayon silang dapita moanhi (People know that we make tombstones here in Carreta, so they immediately come here),” he said.
The tombstone carving community in Carreta Cemetary is a growing one, too. Over 50 tombstone carvers are there, so Eddie has to make sure he can get his fair share by producing quality work.
The man seems to know a good work-life balance, too. All carving, he said, is done in his post outside the cemetery while he spends his time at home with his family.
Eddie and his family used to live near Mahiga Creek for over 20 years until they resettled in Paknaan, Mandaue City in 2014.
Beside his post outside the cemetery, Eddie’s cousin sells flowers and candles.