LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Surprised to see lines of people on one side of the highway starting around 9 a.m. in Barangay Beckel, just at the border with Baguio City? They’re drawn by internet-personality-turned-restaurateur Etag TV and his restaurant.
Etag TV is actually Mark Dave Yamoyam, a registered nurse from La Trinidad who has been vlogging about Igorot culture since 2019. He thought up the channel name “Etag TV” because he wanted something short and catchy. And having spent much of his growing-up years with his cousins in Sagada, Mountain Province, he is familiar with the tradition of meat preservation and the dish that locals call “etag” (smoked pork).
Yamoyam vlogged on the side while working as a nurse for the Diocese of Baguio. Another side hustle was coordinating small construction projects. He started smoking meats to ensure sufficient food supplies for his workers a week at a time.
“I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to stay idle,” he said in a recent conversation with CoverStory.
Pandemic appeals
At the height of the pandemic, Yamoyam’s phone was active almost 24/7, lighting up with notifications of appeals—for oxygen tanks, for medicines—from near and far. Because movement was restricted then for the general population and he was physically able and officially identified as an essential worker, he felt it was his responsibility to respond to each request.
One day, exhausted and feeling overwhelmed, he wanted to give up. He turned off his phone and let it all out. But he turned it back on that same night and began responding to requests again, some from as far as La Union.
He just needed time to release his pent-up emotions, he said. That done, he was ready to help again. And not once during that period did he get infected with Covid-19, he said.
He revived his online presence in 2023, drawing from past lessons in engaging with his audience. He increased food-focused content, talking more about the preparation process and making cooking videos on smoked meat—and naturally featuring his smoked-product lineup: etag, ribs, and “pinuneg” (pork blood or bloodless sausage).
Initially, he used an e-commerce platform to sell his products. But after being inundated with orders that, being a solo operator, he could not meet, he decided to stop selling on that platform. Today, customers directly place orders online or by phone.
Yamoyam recounted how, in the middle of a work day, someone called him to say that a group from Bataan was at his house and wanted to taste the smoked meats. He rushed home, apologized, and explained that he did not have a restaurant. Nor did he have any smoked meats available.
The following Saturday, his day off, more people arrived unexpectedly. But this time he had food at hand, so he prepared a simple dish of smoked meat in broth. He did not charge them for it. After all, he said, they had travelled far for a sampling of his product.
His own place
In 2024, he seriously considered opening his own place, there being a clamor for it. He enjoyed being a nurse, he said, but after 17 years of serving, he felt the need to find out where this new opportunity would lead. And, he said, the reality had sunk in: A nurse needs to be in prime physical health, and he was not getting any younger.
This is not his first food venture. In 2013, he opened the two-table Mark & Mark Eatery that served stir-fried meats and the chicken dish “pinikpikan.” But he was still working as a nurse, too, and could not devote much time to the venture. He closed it after less than a year of operations.
At Kasakm’owl Restaurant by Etag TV, Yamoyam and his staff adhere to strict health standards. Every day, they salt a few kilos of pork and smoke these overnight. These are what they serve to customers until they run out, which inevitably they do, before closing time. But, he said, customers are welcome to linger and enjoy the free-flowing coffee and conversation…and watch the sun set behind the mountains.
He admitted having earlier posted content for clicks—in particular, smoked meat with live worms crawling all over it. But he made the assurance that with his training, he will not sacrifice hygiene when it comes to food served in his restaurant.
Purists have criticized him on several occasions, Yamoyam said. He admitted that the smoked meats he serves are not prepared in the exact same way of his forebears. For one, he said, salting meat was meant to preserve food in those days when refrigerators did not yet exist. The smell and taste of his meats are milder, too. He said his modernized version is the best way to introduce Igorot food and culture to a broader audience.
He said he has learned to deal with negative reactions online: First, he tries to address the criticisms and explain. If they persist, he does not engage. He invites bashers to come to his restaurant for a talk over free-flowing coffee.
Local and foreign visitors
Yamoyam has served Filipinos coming from as far as Mindanao and tourists from Australia, New Zealand, North America, South Korea, and different parts of Europe. He said many have returned a number of times. Even fellow Igorot have come to try his take on their cuisine—and, he said, many have expressed appreciation for it.
He is pleased that he has also been able to fulfill his mission of encouraging more people to know about and appreciate Igorot cuisine. He is surprised that his online work has made this possible, with his catchphrases—“quality,” “Kasakm’owl,” “first bite”—now viral.
He also appreciates that many students have come to the restaurant to interview him about how traditions are kept alive in the community. (At the time of his conversation with CoverStory, he was winding down from a very busy 2025, in which he was featured in a South Korean TV show on EBS.)
Looking back, Yamoyam recalled that he was a naughty child up until he graduated from high school. He promised his parents then that he would turn his life around. That is why, he said, he tries to help everyone who asks for his help. At the restaurant, if someone is hungry but cannot afford to pay, he will give them food for free. This is another way that he preserves the traditions of hospitality and accommodation, he said.
According to Yamoyam, the motivation to go on remains the same: to promote Igorot culture through their unique food. And it has been effective. He said he has noticed that while diners had a lot of questions about the food when the restaurant first opened, the questions have become infrequent since he and other vloggers (and even TV shows) extensively featured his channel, restaurant, and work.
When people come around to the restaurant in Barangay Beckel on a Monday, they will find it closed. But they can proceed to the branch in nearby Tuding, because, as Yamoyam said, “I do not want to turn anyone away, especially after they have travelled a large distance.” CS
