A break from their home-based business
Small business owner Miz Ortonio had lived most of her adult life in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, but migrated to Los Angeles, California, 11 years ago to start a new life with her husband and their two now-adult kids.
A few years ago, she and Ruderick, who is from Vigan, Ilocos Sur, quit their jobs to devote their attention to Pinoy Sa-Wrap, their home-based business. They make Vigan-style longganisa (pork link sausages), lumpia longganisa, and buko pie from scratch, which they then ship to homesick Ilocanos and other kababayan across the United States.
“For the past six years, we’ve been accepting a few orders until the afternoon of Dec. 24. Only after the last box gets picked up can we start preparing for a simple meal together to celebrate ‘the reason for the season,’” Ortonio told Lifestyle.
“We’re lucky because we have a good-sized Filipino population here in Carson. We have Filipino stores and restaurants where we can get the usual Pinoy stuff for the holidays, as well as access to enterprising kababayan who sell their homemade food especially for the holiday season.”
Despite all the conveniences available to them, she still longs for the Christmases of her youth. “I love the build-up to Christmas Day—the decorations, the Christmas songs playing everywhere you go, the parties and the food! Here in the US, most people work until the last minute, spend one day to celebrate, and then go back to work the very next day.”
‘Parol’ to set the mood
To put her in that Pinoy Christmas mood, Ortonio displays the parol a cousin gifted her from the Philippines. The folksy piece is made out of pine cones in the shape of a five-pointed star with a circular rim also made of pine cones. She embellished it with fabric poinsettias, their leaves a bright and festive red.
“The unique, handcrafted parol reminds me of home and my family who are still there. We then take time to dress up the table and enjoy our Noche Buena. This is followed by the giving of gifts. On Christmas Eve, we greet our families in the Philippines via video call. Our daughter Mika lives in another state so we give her a call as well.”
The best screenshot of the night is then sent out as the Ortonios’ Christmas family photo for the year. It might not be like Christmases in Laoag filled with raucous fun with extended family, but she’s grateful for time off to spend with her husband and adult son Miguel.
