Woman breathes new life into Negros Occidental graves for over 30 years

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Each year, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days become a time not only for remembering loved ones who have passed but also for some to earn extra income.

Sixty-six-year-old Ninfa Sanisit has been doing that at the Kabankalan City Public Cemetery in Negros Occidental. Every November, for over 30 years, she has made tomb cleaning as a source of additional income for her family.

Sanisit told Rappler on Friday, November 1, that her work provides an income stream for her family of 10 during the two-day annual holiday.

She began working at the cemetery in the late 1980s after neighbors encouraged her to take on the job. She cleaned tombs for families who didn’t have the time to tend to their loved ones’ resting places, she said.

Over time, Sanisit gained a loyal client base – each paying her P600 per tomb for cleaning, repainting, and lettering, she added.

Despite her age, she ensures the names on each tombstone remain legible and well-maintained – a detail her clients appreciate, she said.

“My clients know that I take this work seriously,” she said in Hiligaynon.

As the demand for tomb cleaning grew, her husband, Nonoy, joined her, doubling their efforts. On All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, they work together to scrub tombs, repaint names on tombstones, and tidy graves.

Two of their children and their grandchildren also pitch in, turning the annual holidays into a family affair that has brought them closer over the years. 

“It’s not just one person’s job,” Ninfa said.

She said their income for this year’s observance is expected to be lower due to recent weather conditions that made cleaning and painting difficult.

She added that in previous years, they earned up to P10,000 during the period, but this year has presented challenges.

While intense, their work provides additional income. However, once the holidays are over, Ninfa and her husband pivot to selling vegetables at the local market to sustain them for the rest of the year.

She said only about 10 elderly individuals still work at the cemetery, as many of their former colleagues have passed away and are now buried in the very cemetery where they work. – Rappler.com