Meet TikTok's Gen Z Embalsamador Who Keeps Business and Vocation of RIP Alive

(SPOT.ph) In a full circle moment, Ferdinand "Bong" Malgapo Jr. earlier this year embalmed the remains of an uncle who mentored him in the family craft—preserving the dearly departed in such a way that they appear to be sleeping (parang natutulog lang) on their way to the afterlife.

Only 25, Malgapo is a rising star on TikTok where he takes thousands of Gen Z followers behind the curtains of an undertaker's work table. It's an unspoken job, but someone has to do it, for as long as humans live and die. To the audience that he calls "ka-morgue", his creepy stories are not too far off from horror series that they binge watch on Netflix.

"Ako po mismo nag-embalsamo sa nagturo sa akin," he said of his uncle and mentor who died of a heart attack.

People are curious about undertakers or embalsamadors because not too many have had the chance to witness the process of preserving a dead body, Malgapo told SPOT.

"Curious pala talaga ang tao sa embalming. Actually, may mga tao nga na gusto na magpaturo sa akin," he added with a chuckle.

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Also read: TikTok's Top Tip to Sellers: Tickle Audiences, They'll Add to Cart

It runs in the family

Like many people his age, Malgapo initially wanted to post trendy TikTok videos but was surprised that many were interested to ask him about his work, morgues, and caskets.

"Nung una, hindi naman tungkol sa embalming yung gusto ko i-TikTok eh, mga emote-emote lang, mga ganun, tapos nung nagvi-video na ako ng mga ataul, maraming nagtatanong 'paano ginagawa sa patay?'...Doon na-curious ako, unti-unti ko na sinasagot yung mga tanong," he said.

@kamorgue Replying to @the_lost_marimo ARAW-ARAW BA MAY PATAY? #embalmer #embalmerlife #embalming #embalm #embalmingroom #mortician #morticianlife #morticiansoftiktok #funeral #funeralservice #morgue #formalin #patay #bangkay #foryou #foryoupage #foryourpage #fypage #fypageシ #fy #fyp #fypp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #viral #trend #trendy #trendingvideo #trending #xyzbca #tiktokph #tiktokphilippines #docbongbong #bongmalgapo ♬ Relaxing Japanese-style piano song inviting nostalgia - Akiko Akiyama

His TikTok channel, where he fondly calls his followers "mga Ka-Morgue" like an influencer, has over 292,000 followers and 3.4 million likes. He also has a YouTube channel where he shares long-form videos of his content.

Malgapo comes from a clan of embalmers with his grandfather and uncles engaged in the same work too. From Gapan City to the town of San Antonio in Nueva Ecija, the Malgapos have established themselves as respected embalmers.

"Mula bata nakakakita na kami ng patay... Araw-araw kami nakakakita ng patay kaya nung pumasok ako ng embalming parang wala na talaga [yung takot]," Malgapo said.

He initially studied to become a pastor of the Iglesia ni Cristo faith but was unable to continue his studies due to the death of his mother. His father had died much earlier in his youth which left Malgapo under the care of his relatives.

A typical day for a Gen Z embalsamador

Working as an embalmer is no 8 to 5 job and people get a glimpse of the profession on Malgapo's TikTok account. On a typical day on the job, Malgapo says he embalms two bodies. The most he had to work on were nine bodies in a day. 

"Basta magkaroon ng patay, doon lang ako nagkakatrabaho," he said.

@kamorgue Replying to @zeichiewu15 BAKIT NAGIGING IBA ITSURA NG PATAY AFTER MA-EMBALSAMO? #embalmer #embalming #embalm #embalmerlife #mortician #morticiansoftiktok #morticianlife #funeral #funeraria #morgue #formalin #patay #bangkay #foryou #foryoupage #foryourpage #fypage #fypageシ #fy #fyp #fypp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trend #trendy #trending #trendingvideo #xyzbca #tiktokph #tiktokphilippines #tiktokawards2022 #docbongbong #bongmalgapo ♬ Relaxing Japanese-style piano song inviting nostalgia - Akiko Akiyama

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malgapo recalled the fear he and other embalmers initially felt since they had to bury the bodies of victims of the viral disease.

"Natatakot kami kasi pagka-naglilibing kami, kahit hatinggabi naglilibing kami. Pagkalibing namin, pagkauwi namin sa puwesto ligo agad tapos pati yung sasakyan talagang nililinis namin. Pero sa panahon ngayon, kumbaga gamay na namin eh kaya hindi na masyado natatakot," he said.

With the gaining popularity of his TikTok videos, Malgapo said he wants more people to know that embalmers, like many other professions, want to do good for people—even the dead.

"Ang layunin ng isang embalmer na kagaya ko ay hangga't kayang ayusin, hangga't kayang pagandahin yung patay, yun na yung ginagawa namin," he said.

"Kasi ang layunin namin talaga, kahit na nagdadalamhati yung namatayan sa huling pagkakataon, yun bang magawa namin yung bahagi namin na mapasaya namin sila sa paraang naayos namin yung mahal nila sa buhay," he added.

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