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TWO improvised hot air balloons lit the dark skies of barangay San Vicente, Liloan in northern Cebu last April 22.
The 20-foot red-and-white-striped hot air balloons signaled the beginning of the barangay?s novenario for St. Vincent, whose feast was celebrated last April 24.
The improvised hot air balloons made out of glassine paper are both masterpieces of cousins Domingo, Coro and Alberto.
The cousins travel around the country making hot air balloons. The three have been making improvised hot air balloons for almost 40 years now. They inherited the business from their fathers.
Domingo Oncenas said sometimes their customers would pay for their fare, but there are also times when they have to shell out their own money.
A regular-sized improvised hot air balloon, which is about 20 ft big, is priced at P1,500. But if the cousins don?t get travel allowances from their customers, they have to double the price.
Alberto Tautho said it takes them one and a half days to make one hot air balloon. During fiesta season, like in the months of April and May, they get an average order of 18 hot air balloons in a month. But on slow months they get at least seven orders of hot air balloons.
Coro Tautho said the main materials used in making the improvised hot air balloon are glassine paper and cassava paste. A basin of heated edible oil and Judas belt fire crackers let the hot air balloon float in the air.
Alberto said some customers would ask them to release hot air balloons during special occasions like birthdays and baptism. On fiestas, people would tie all their wishes in the hot air balloon before setting them to the skies.
They were also asked to make hot air balloons once during a burial.
The cousins earn at least P10,000 a month making hot air balloons and they were able to send their children to school with the business they have acquired from their parents.
Alberto said he is proud of being able to help finance his son Glen?s education, who is taking up nursing in college.
Glen?s aunts, who work abroad, pays a larger chunk of Glen?s tuition, Alberto said he is proud that he still gets to contribute in giving his sons? allowances and other things with his balloon making.
The cousins said they stayed in the business to keep a family tradition.
Coro said their bond as cousins and as a family had been strengthened through the work they?ve been doing.
They get to chat and talk about everything under the sun as they paste together colorful pieces of glassine papers.
The cousins do all the work anywhere they can lay their materials out, usually in huge vacant spaces.
