Death gave life to this unique business
It is never easy. But it is inevitable. So if there are wedding planners, there is now in the Philippines also a “funeral planner.”
Weddings and funerals are both “events” anyway — a combination of ceremony, traditions and receptions. The enterprising sister team
of Tina Bonoan, Mari Bonoan- Escaño and Mailet Bonoan- Ancheta pooled together what they do best in their respective fields to offer creative options to giving your loved ones the best possible send- off when the inevitable comes. “When our dad, then mom, passed, we were in grief and could not put our act together. We wanted something only they can have, something personalized. Luckily, our friends came to the rescue and brought our ideas to life. We then realized that we could help others in the same situation in a unique and memorable way ,” recalls architect and designer Tina.
“Cremation is becoming more and more accepted in the country, so I think there’s an untapped market out there,” observes business entrepreneur Mari. “We noticed that there are not many choices of urns to encase the ashes. People would want something that best pays tribute to the life and memory of their loved ones.”
With that thought in mind, Tina first worked on the urns with artists Joey de Castro for raku pottery, Impy and Isa Pilapil for marble and stainless steel pieces, Pidge Reyes for mosaic, and Tony Gonzales for wood. Tina, for her part, crafts urns from laminated shell.
To complement the beauty of the urns, the sisters built upon the idea of completing the experience by introducing “floral-scapes” and oneofa- kind accessories to create an elegant, ethereal space — a customized “departure point” to the next life. Hence, Comfortscape was born.
The Bonoan siblings took first steps into the business in October 2016, and quickly saw the possibilities, having received favorable feedback from their very first client. “They felt comforted. It is consoling to know that you gave your departed loved ones a memorable goodbye.
Mailet admits it’s an unusual business they’re in. But hey, death is as certain as the sunrise, so somebody’s gotta do it — style a wake, that is.
“The business was inspired by the death of our parents. During their wake, my sisters were the ones who styled it and we got a lot of compliments and others suggested that we do it professionally. Four years after the death of my dad and two years after my mom’s, we decided we were ready to take the opportunity and make into a business since we knew how limited the choices are when it comes to styling a wake.
Friends gave the Bo no an sisters“endless compliments” during the wake of their parents. Death gave life to their business. “We wanted to give our pa rents the best send of f we could give them. As such, we also would like to do the same for our clients. Making it personalized and special from the choice of urns to the setup of the wake.”
“We got the idea of making it into a business years later after doing it first as a favor to close friends. Also, when my parents passed away there was very limited choices of urns, which inspired my sister, Tina, to design urns and asked her artists friends to design for us as well.”
The brains behind Comfor tscape are just warming up for more. Personalizing“comforts capes” is the ultimate challenge, as people would want to see artistic renditions of their be love d’s hobby or personal advocacy. But, for this intrepid team of cr eat iv es, nothing can be too far-fetched or inconceivable when it comes to making the best memories last. ( For more information, visit Comfortscape on Facebook or call 0920- 9535301, 0917- 8991990 and 0977- 8146375.)