Bonifacia “Ima” Deang Orozco has lived through war, loss, migration, motherhood and nearly a century of change—without losing her curiosity, faith or appetite for the next journey.
Born May 14, 1929, in Mexico, Pampanga, Orozco grew up in a family that made its living from the land. Her parents owned eight horses: two used for travel and carrying goods to market, and the rest worked alongside carabaos on the family farm.
Her early life was peaceful until World War II changed everything.
When the family evacuated toward Angeles City in hopes of protecting their eldest son from being sent to war, tragedy followed. Her brother’s refusal to join the conflict cost him his life. During the family’s displacement, Orozco’s mother gave birth without adequate medical care and died, along with the newborn child. The family buried her somewhere along the route, a place Orozco could no longer remember years later.
As the second-oldest child, Orozco became a crucial support to her father and three younger brothers. She helped the family rebuild their lives in Angeles City, where survival meant buying and selling produce in the market.
It was there that she met Cresenciano Orozco, a U.S. Army Scout who would become her husband. They were married for 48 years before he died of renal failure in 1997. Together, they raised 11 children—seven daughters and four sons.
A mother’s work
In Angeles City, Orozco ran a modest business selling misua noodles and lumpia wrappers, along with a sari-sari store that became a lifeline for neighbors.
Families often bought basic goods on credit. Each household kept a notebook, bringing it to the store to record rice, groceries and other daily necessities, then settling its balance at the end of the month. Orozco’s days revolved around the market, the store, church and her children.
Her life was rooted in ordinary responsibilities, yet the impact of that work became clear when she was named Model Mother of the Year by Immaculate Conception Parish in Balibago, Angeles City.
The shy mother, who had completed only elementary school, reportedly asked: “Why me?”
The answer was in the lives of her children. All 11 attended college, supported by their parents’ sacrifices and their own hard work. The family later received another recognition from the parish as its Model Christian Family.
A new life in America
In 1985, Orozco’s eldest son, then serving in the U.S. Navy, petitioned for his parents to immigrate to the United States.
Her husband initially resisted leaving behind their business and familiar life in the Philippines. Orozco made the difficult choice to go ahead alone. After months apart, he decided to join her.
His military records helped him become a U.S. citizen more quickly, and the family eventually worked together to bring their children and grandchildren to the United States.
In the early 2000s, Orozco became active with the Mabuhay organization and was again named Model Mother of the Year, an honor that gave her the opportunity to join a parade in Washington, D.C.
Her children, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law have since helped make possible a life of travel that she may not have imagined as a young woman in Pampanga. Orozco has visited parts of Europe, Asia, North America and South America.
Her most recent overseas trip was to the Philippines in March, when she joined Visita Iglesia observances during Holy Week. This summer, she also traveled to San Francisco and Las Vegas, endured an eight-hour drive and enjoyed wine tasting in Napa Valley.
At 97, Ima remains an engaged reader of current events, a traveler and a family matriarch with a sharp interest in the world around her. Ask her about a distinguished guest such as Boy Abunda, and she is likely to have something to say.
Her life is a reminder that an extraordinary story does not always begin with wealth, titles or formal education. Sometimes it begins with a market stall, a notebook of credit accounts, a mother’s determination and the decision to keep moving forward.
