I thought the story ended with the person making the chips.
I was wrong.
I came to see how Melvin makes cassava chips.
The cassava.
The processing.
The finished packs.
Then I met Maria.
She helps make the chips too.
And she sells them live.
That made me look at the business a little differently.
Melvin makes the chips here and also supplies them to hotels and other customers.
Maria helps with the production and sells them live.
And online, TikTok Shop is part of the picture.
What caught me was how they worked together.
Making.
Supplying.
Selling live.
Almost three years living in the Philippines, I still find myself thinking I understand how things work.
Then I meet people like Melvin and Maria.
Still Learning.
Still Exploring.
One local story at a time.
Daghang salamat, Melvin & Maria🙏
I came here thinking this was a Quest about a person making cassava chips. One maker, one process, one product — that was the story I expected to write.
Then I met Maria, standing next to Melvin at the same small table, also making the chips. She wasn't just there for the day — she also goes live on TikTok Shop to sell what they make.
It made me stop for a second. Almost three years living in the Philippines, and I still catch myself assuming I understand how something works before I've actually looked closely enough.
What caught me wasn't the technology. It was realizing Melvin wasn't running this alone — and that I hadn't even noticed, until I asked.
The real discovery wasn't the cassava chip itself — it was realizing Melvin wasn't running this alone, and that Maria's help reaches from the production table all the way to a live TikTok feed.
| Date | July 19, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Corazon, Catmon, Cebu |
| Event Type | Small Business Follow-Up Visit |
| Access Method | Invited by a local contact (Melvin) |
| Food Featured | Cassava Chips |
| Cost to Attend | FFree (by arrangement) |
| Rarity | 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ — Distinct small-business structure |
Whether Maria's role here is how most small operations like this actually work in Catmon, or something particular to the two of them, is still something I don't know.