ABC7 reporter celebrates Filipino roots with cooking video featuring grandma

Photo from abc7irene/Instagram

For Filipinos, food is considered a universal language of love – and for Fil-Am broadcast journalist Irene Cruz, it’s a way to celebrate and bring the family closer together.

The ABC7 Los Angeles Eyewitness News anchor took to Instagram to share a day with her family during Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month. She is the proud daughter of Filipino immigrants and comprehends Tagalog fluently.

Cruz and her charming 87-year-old grandma, whom they fondly call nanay and who is surprisingly an avid fan of WWE, whipped up a Filipino favorite – lumpia.

The duo adorably engaged in playful banter as they made lumpia. “Why do you like cooking for us?,” asked Cruz, to which nanay candidly responded, “Because you’re matatakaw,” a Tagalog term describing their hearty appetites.

“LUMPIA WITH GRANDMA: a short love letter to my grandmother, my family, and Filipino heritage,” Cruz wrote in an Instagram post. “This was such a special piece to put together.”

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A post shared by Irene Cruz (@abc7irene)

As the family enjoyed the savory goodness of lumpia, with garlic and vinegar dipping sauce that nanay lovingly stored in emptied bottles of Ragu and Nutella, they also strengthened their bonds.

Once a month, Irene Cruz’s family gathers together with food on the table and a game of bingo — her grandma’s favorite pastime.

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Laughter, food and love: A Filipino family’s core

Nanay’s favorites – sinigang, nilaga and menudo – are as zesty as her character. The lighthearted fun continued as she jested, “They love me but I don’t love them,” then quickly added, “That’s a joke.”

These playful quips underscored the deep affection that permeates the Cruz family gatherings — reflecting their tight familial bond.

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A post shared by Irene Cruz (@abc7irene)

Nanay’s odyssey from the Philippines to the US in 1987, with a stop in Guam, is testament to the indomitable spirit of Filipino immigrants. 

These inspiring stories enrich Irene Cruz’s identity and reflect the vibrant and rich narrative of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month.