The fulfillment of a cherished dream almost a decade in the making. That’s how Mark Sangiao aka Coach Mark of Team Lakay described the opening of their headquarters in Baguio City’s scenic Irisan Heights. “Finally, after renting space in many, many gyms in different parts of Baguio and La Trinidad over the years, Team Lakay...
Author: Mari-An C. Santos (Mari-An Santos)
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From culture vlogger to viral restaurant owner
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...
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Homegrown brews in what feels like a European setting
BAGUIO CITY—I don’t want to be that girl. That one who, after a trip to Europe, starts comparing, and very loudly, things Philippine to European, taking every opportunity to brag about the places she saw and the stuff she tried there. But I did spend time there pursuing a master’s degree under the Erasmus+ program....
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Toward people-centered and publicly-funded progress in Baguio
BAGUIO CITY—Many in (and even out of) the summer capital celebrated when news broke that a project involving the Baguio City public market would not push through. In a letter dated Dec. 19, 2025, and addressed to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI) officially withdrew its proposal of redeveloping the public market under a...
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In Sagada, there’s still a chance to avoid the madding crowd
SAGADA—Not only tourist testimonials but also stories in various media (like the films “Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising” and “That Thing Called Tadhana”) and even that eponymous song have drawn folks to this misty town in the mountains. Many have returned several times; others are so enamored by the place and its people that they now...
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Not bad for what began as a ‘carinderia’
BAGUIO CITY — What does a Malaysian chef who has worked in five-star hotels and resorts like to eat at home? It’s pinakbet cooked by his Filipino wife. The love story of Gina Ulat (originally from La Union in the Philippines) and Alvin Emuang (of Penang, Malaysia) began in the late 1990s when they met...
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Deep in the mountains, giving thanks for the harvest
LUSOD, Kabayan, Benguet—On Nov. 12, my heart sank when I received word from Lilia Waclin that Supertyphoon “Uwan” had triggered landslides that wiped out not only the roads but also the crops. How different it was when I traveled to Lusod on Oct. 25. I heard the gongs long before I saw any of the...
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From blade to bark, Gustavo Montero makes art from nature
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Gustavo Montero is an Ibaloi artist and artisan who is contributing to the preservation and increased awareness of indigenous arts beyond his native province of Benguet. It all started in 2009, when Montero first became interested in Kali, the Filipino martial art that involves hand and body movements and the use of bladed weapons. He...
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Making memories: Sticky rice and unfettered bonds
Among my vivid childhood memories is making bilo-bilo. I remember the sensation of rolling between my palms a dollop of cold malagkit (sticky rice) to about an inch round until smooth, putting the ball on a plate, and repeating the process, putting the balls one beside the others on the quickly filled plate, until there...
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Authentic French breads and pastries enliven the City of Pines
BAGUIO CITY—It’s common to see the end of the queue as you enter the parking lot—long before you get to the front doors—of L’Atelier du Grain in this mountain city. “We usually sell more than 3,000 kinds of breads and pastries per day in the weekends,” says co-owner Merna Brazil. At the helm of the...