Chorizo or any of the longganisa variety is almost always part of a typical Filipino breakfast. Aside from its mouth-watering aroma and delectable taste, chorizo can be easily prepared and comes in handy for those in a hurry like kids bound for school and parents off to work.
In Cebu, Carbon market has a handful of these stalls selling chorizo and longganisa. Couple Godofredo and Leonila Largo, who now has a flourishing chorizo business, first met in 1968 at the Carbon area, but had different employers then.
Leonila was employed in a chorizo store while Godofredo worked in a milling shop.
After five years, the couple decided to tie the knot and left their respective employers in November 1, 1973, and started their own chorizo business with a startup capital of P1,000.
Still coping with marriage woes, the couple had a hard time making their business grow, however, they endured the difficulties and sweat it out by vending their chorizo in restaurants and carenderias, which then became their regular buyers of their products.
Now a sought-after product, Godofredo and Leonila’s home-made chorizo and longganisa is pegged at a reasonable price of P110 per kilo of P15 per dozen.
Leonila personally concocts their chorizo mixture to assure their customers with the quality and taste that they have been used to from the start.
Their chorizo is now being distributed to as far as Iligan, Bantayan Island, South and North of Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte, which was also made possible through the word-of -mouth advertisements by their very own customers.
As what Leonila puts it, every business has its own plan for it to progress. With this, according to her, there are many things to be considered when the business is expanding. First is the supply of the ingredients, second is the place and lastly, the personnel. She stressed that their business is a family business to which their five sons and daughter now helps them run the business.
Leonila added that she’s already contented with their business which runs smoothly in spite of the increasing fee for annual renewal of its business permit. Aside from it, all is well in their chorizo business. – Miraflor Escarro, USJ-R Masscom Intern