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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Christmas Factory manufactures holiday cheer

Christmas Factory manufactures holiday cheer

Published Dec 14, 2019 12:00 am
By Patrick Garcia My fondest childhood memories of Christmas are the preparations made by the whole family and the community to celebrate this festive holiday. It’s when we bathe our house in Christmas lights and decor and assemble our Nativity Scene or ‘Belen,’ to which my younger brother adds additional animals and toys, much to the delight of our grandparents. Once we're all done, we turn off the living room lights, stand back, and take in our shared piece of Christmas art. (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) Aside from the obligatory gut-busting celebrations during this season, what I look forward to is drinking up the colors of Yuletide cheer -- a visual fiesta if you will. Come the 'ber' months, we usually visit our aunt in Sampaloc, Manila for her delectable leche flan and pastries. But another thing that makes our visit to her truly exciting and memorable is a certain store beside her house that comes alive during the holidays with the hustle and bustle of people needing Christmas decorations. (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) The Christmas Factory is the brainchild of husband and wife Tony Boy and Jo Santos. The store specializes in manufacturing products made from poly-resin and fiberglass, the surfaces of their sculptures polished with their trademark glossy shine. Their resin products, with their quality outdoor acrylic paint, can withstand the elements and last five to six years on the average. According to Mr. Santos, the business started from his wife’s love of Santa Claus. Mrs. Santos had a personal collection of Santa figurines and would create her own Christmas decor, all by hand, during the summer as a hobby. Come Christmas season, Jo would display her work at their home and sell some to her close friends. Her hobby became such a success that the couple decided to make it their business. (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) As the years passed and their business grew, they also started exporting their poly-resin and fiberglass products to different parts of the world. (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) The store doesn’t sell only Santa Claus figurines. They also sell handcrafted Nativity sets, reindeer figurines, fiberglass elves, and intricate Christmas houses of different sizes. They also create non-Christmas items such as figurines of cartoon characters and superheroes, among them a lightpost-tall Incredible Hulk statue). (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) (Christmas Factory Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) Even though they’re only open for four months, from September to December, the Christmas Factory never fails to remind everyone, including myself, about the true essence of Christmas.
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