What’s with the pink coffin?

St. Peter Group of Companies, a pioneering leader in life plans, chapels and memorial services, was named after St. Peter the Apostle. But it caters to everyone and from all faiths.

“We serve all classes of society. We treat everyone equally, rich or poor, young or old, of whatever denomination,” says Mildred Vitangcol, president and CEO of St. Peter Life Plan, Inc.

Since the 1970s, the company’s affordable care plans have catered primarily to the needy. But through word of mouth, many clients also now come from the upper classes.

“Employers who attended the wake of their employees’ loved ones saw our services,” says Orlando Bautista, board chair of the St. Peter Group.

“We have upgraded our facilities,” says Mildred. The company has a state-of-the art crematorium, plus modern equipment for casket-making sourced from abroad, with the pink casket as a signature product.

The company’s Sleeping Beauty ad, “Parang Natutulog Lang (like sleeping),” caused a stir on social media. It depicts a woman being pampered like in a salon, then the big reveal at the end: She was being lovingly prepped for her wake.

“We wanted to change the mindset of Filipinos about death,” says York Vitangcol, CEO of St. Peter Group. “Death is a celebration of life. We are sad when our loved ones pass away, but we should also celebrate their life. Pink is not a gloomy color, and we want our caskets to reflect this philosophy.”

St. Peter also pioneered eBurol and eLibing, allowing people to join their loved ones’ wake online. Relatives and friends of the deceased used to travel long distances to join the family, but in our hectic world, not everyone, particularly OFWs, could make it home in time.

Though eBurol and eLibing are free for clients, they are copyrighted. So are other online community services like Heaven Address, Timeless Tribute and St. Peter Tribute.

But “we want every Filipino to be able to join in the wake of their deceased, so we don’t mind if competitors do the same service,” says York.

From the heart

The family has also invested in a “constitution,” with vision and principles, structures and procedures in place. The members of the next generation are encouraged to work outside the company first, to gain the requisite MBA and experience, and to showcase their assets and skills so as to be invited into the company.

The aim is to have well-qualified family members and nonfamily professionals work as a team, guided by company values.

Decades ago, when founder Francisco Bautista saw a body on the street, he had it brought in and then gave it a proper burial. Babies who died below three months old, whatever their social status, were deemed as angels, and also given a free burial.

In June 2016, company sales agents arranged for the funeral of an abandoned dead fetus covered in plastic found on a rice field in Zamboanga del Norte. The agents ensured that the baby was baptized and given the name Angel. The wake was attended by police and social workers. Angel was subsequently interred in the municipal cemetery.

Such actions show that St. Peterians take the company oath, recited daily after Lupang Hinirang and Panatang Makabayan, to heart.

True to the founder’s wish that employees benefit from the company as well, they have access to the Management Development Program, wherein MBA education is provided for, and the Embalming Licensure Program, which is mandatory for all officers. Scholarships for deserving students are given with no strings attached.

“Our constant exposure to death makes us try to live life well,” says York. “Without a genuine understanding of death, you cannot appreciate life.”