Chix & Tell

Part of Filipino Homes: URC products are among the top picks of Filipino households,   according to the 2025 Brand Footprint Report of global consulting firm Worldpanel by Numerator. Five flagship brands from food and beverage firm Universal Robina Corp. (URC) have landed in an exclusive list of products consistently chosen by millions of Filipino households. Great Taste, C2, Piattos, Nissin and Payless were all among the most chosen FMCG brands in the Philippines according to the 2025 Brand Footprint Report of global consulting firm Worldpanel by Numerator. “The results of this study show that our brands continue to earn the trust and loyalty of Filipino consumers ,” said URC Chief Marketing Officer Karen Ong. “ We’re proud that our products remain staples in homes across the country ,” she added. The Brand Footprint report is Worldpanel’s annual ranking of the most chosen FMCG brands worldwide. It uses a metric called “consumer reach points” (CRP) to measure a brand’s s...

  Okay, so I finally did it!   After dodging it for years (decades, really), I went through my very first-ever warts removal treatment. Yes, at 48! Long overdue? Absolutely. And let me tell you — IT HURT LIKE CRAZY! Paano, dinecline mo offer to take a pain reliever!   Imagine a hot rod pressing on your cheek… on purpose! That’s exactly what it felt like. I tried to be brave, but nope — I felt every single sting, and my tears just started rolling on their own. No drama, just real pain! I was twitching, squirming, and silently screaming the entire time! All in an effort to distract myself from the heat and the ouch. Sakit jud uy! 😭 MUMMY! Este, Mommy! Anyare?!😄 When my attendant finally said, “Done!” I swear my whole body ached. It was like I did a full-core workout just by tensing up from all that stinging. I was sent home with aftercare creams and instructions. You know, the usual: keep it clean, dab on the ointment, wait for the scabs to dry up and fall off natur...

There’s something magical about chasing the sunrise while chasing a milestone, noh? That’s exactly what happened when I looped and logged 12 kilometers for the first time ever during the SCUDS Run 2025 . The plan? Simple: walk when tired, run when ready. The result? A personal record , 818 calories burned, and a heart full of pride (and sweat, of course).Very good ka, ghorl! I think I may have pushed myself a little  harder than usual  but that feeling of crossing the finish line was priceless .  I even did a little happy singing and "ho-ho-hoing" along the road… or was it just the pure rush of endorphins? 😄 Either way, I couldn’t be prouder! The Route: New Starting Point, Familiar Vibes The race took off from a new starting point , which was a pleasant change. While the route had a few familiar parts, especially from the VL Anniversary Half Marathon , it still had its unique features like a new scenery and elevation for Poppy and me .  The route was well-organize...

  Last July 17, 2025, I had the opportunity of wearing not just one, but two of my many hats — a beautiful intersection of my passions and advocacies. As Executive Director of the South Cotabato Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. , and as Vice President for Internal Affairs of the Sox Bloggers Society , I was deeply honored to take part in an outreach mission that brought smiles, slippers, and school supplies to the learners of Kinam National High School in Malapatan, Sarangani Province. This journey was special for many reasons. For one, it was a full-circle collaboration as our blogging oranization known as Sox Bloggers Society partnered with Gaisano Mall of GenSan , a proud member of the chamber I represent, through their corporate social responsibility programs Tools for Schools and Happy Feet . Together, we set out to bring essential school supplies and brand-new slippers to one of the more geographically challenged yet deeply deserving communities in Sarangani. Get...

  The elevated run at Lake Sebu definitely fired up my running love story! So Poppy and I signed up for the 10K category at the recently concluded VL Foods 29th Anniversary Half Marathon! I must say that the short but challenging 5K elevated run really helped improve my endurance — and it also helped that Poppy and I did some preparation for this 10K run.  I was sooo excited for this one because aside from running with the Soxbee Run Squad again (Can I just officially christen our blogger group with this name? Hahaha!), my daughter was also running with us! What do you know ! I actually got her to run with us! Hahaha! Nabudol si Engineer!      Engineer Ysabella, Poppy and Me  The Sox Bloggers collaborated with VL Foods for this anniversary run, and happy runners we were because Red Fern Pavilions hosted a pre-race dinner to fuel our heels for the next day’s run. Three of us were signed up for 21K, six for 10K, and one f...

 If you’ve been following our fitness journey , you’d know that Poppy and I have been regulars at the gym long before we discovered the joy of pounding the road. Strength training has been our love language — from lifting plates to pushing reps, we’ve been hooked on the grind that makes our muscles ache in the best way possible.   But just this June, we added a new chapter: our running journey . Woohooo! Awaw! Running era, yern? :D What started as a simple gaya-gaya, takbo-takbo turned into an unexpected love affair with the open road and truth be told, I think it’s one of the best decisions we’ve made for our fitness and for each other. Eto yung sagot sa tanong na, "Para kanino ka bumabangon?" Lolz!               Before all this, we were blessed to have found a welcoming first home for our bakal buffet . To our first gym family, the Generals House of Fitness — thank you for opening your doors to us, for cheering on our first lifts, an...