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[Album 2 of 2] One Heart Kalinga Fitness meets daily at the Dagupan Tennis Court, but on May 5th, the group held its session at Callagdao Organics.

[Album 1 of 2] One Heart Kalinga Fitness meets daily at the Dagupan Tennis Court, but on May 5th, the group held its session at Callagdao Organics.

That Snack House by the Side of the Road

Meet Marylle Avriell, a cheerful 18-year-old high school student. Just a month ago, she took a leap of faith and started a business right by the roadside along Provincial Road in Magsaysay, just past Dagupan.

“Haan ko met maibaga nga cafe isuna,” she told me.

“Why not?” I countered. “It is a cafe—a roadside cafe.”

But Marylle Avriell insisted on calling her business a snack house because that’s the vision: a spot where customers can enjoy cold drinks while munching on snacks.

“MONI sip n’ bite” is the name.

For now, the business serves cold drinks (latte, matcha, and cocoa) along with siomai. The menu is expected to grow in the coming months.

MONI sip n’ bite, Marylle Avriell revealed, took a year before it finally came to fruition.

Learning how to mix drinks is the product of YouTube videos. As for capital, everyone pitched in. She credits her parents, her grandmother, and special friends for making it possible.

“Adda met lang backstory na dyay nagan na,” she said.

“MONI” was originally “NOMI,” a slang term meaning “to drink.” But her dad suggested the current name, as it sounds like “money” and has a more positive ring to it.

Since its opening, MONI sip n’ bite has attracted passersby and friends who discovered it on social media.

And now, through this post, you’ve discovered it, too.

It’s your turn to try and support this budding businesswoman. MONI sip n’ bite is located in front of Shell Magsaysay.

Pancit Batil Patong a la Maricel

More than twenty years ago, Maricel Mias-Flores, or Manang Maricel as I call her, arrived in Tabuk with her husband, a Tabuk local, and their two children.

Alongside her family, she came with a deep love for cooking and a variety of tasty recipes.

When Cagayan’s batil patong found its way here, she created her own recipe that has become my personal favorite since I first tasted it.

“Taga-Bicol talaga ako,” she told me during the first weeks of our friendship.

“Pero bakit ang tatas mong mag-Ilokano?” I asked, amazed at her accent and fluency.

“Twenty years ka ba naman dito e,” she said.

“Sa Antipolo ako lumaki,” she continued. “Pinanganak ako sa Bicol pero lumipat kami ng Antipolo nung 1987. 1995 nung nagtrabaho ako sa Baguio.”

In Baguio, she met and married her husband, where they had two children.

In the early 2000s, due to financial challenges, the family relocated to Tabuk.

At Lola Sallin’s, an eatery at the Dagupan Public Market where Manang Maricel currently works, I would sample at least two of her lutong-ulam, if not her batil patong.

Each time, it tastes just as good as I remember.

“Apay nag-iimas ti lutom, manang?” I would ask as a compliment.

“Kailangan kasi sa pagluluto, ading, merong halong pagmamahal,” Manang Maricel would say.

No matter how many times we’ve heard this line said before, its truth doesn’t fade.

After all, there’s a reason why you’d prefer your mother’s cooking over an expensive dish anytime.

If you’re ever in the mood for a plate of batil patong, Lola Sallin’s sits in the eatery section of the Dagupan Public, second stall from the meat section.

Find out for yourself why it’s different.

Congratulations, graduates!

Tree Tops Tabuk is ready! Ahead of the Holy Week rush, employees at Tree Tops in Bantay, Tabuk City, have been working tirelessly to put the finishing touches on the resort’s new amenities, including a campsite, the Fantasy Garden, newly constructed teepee huts, and private cabanas with a pool.

Our friends over at Tree Tops Tabuk worked overtime to give us four new upgrades! See you at Tree Tops!

“Y2K style,” Ivy told me, when asked how she would describe her outfit.

“It’s a style trend on Tiktok,” her friend, Jay-ar, added.

Ivy and Jay-ar, 14 and 15, are students of Tabuk City National High School.

On March 29, workers at the NFA Kalinga Warehouse worked overtime to complete a scheduled rice haul for clients in Isabela and Pangasinan.

Thank you, sirs—and to Ms. Maridel Puerto and NFA Warehouse Supervisor Gay Lynn Sumo—for the opportunity to help tell a part of your story.

“Irrigation Boys” is what they call themselves.

I spotted these Gen Z yLubuagan Superfoot Gym fighters cooling off the old-school way, so I had to snap a few photos.

Moments like these are rare nowadays—we go to pools now—so thanks for the photo opportunity, boys! Keep grinding in the gym!

[Album 2 of 2] Dagupan Weste held its 1st Semester CY 2026 Barangay Assembly on March 27, drawing approximately 150 participants.

Honorable guests in attendance included Mayor Darwin Estrañero, and representatives from other offices and agencies.