I’m a proud Ilonggo. I was born in St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo City, and my mom Allen’s family — the Zaldarriagas, especially her brothers Ric, Ondoy, and Paul — still call Iloilo home.
But my growing-up years were spent in the capital of Negros Occidental.
Last week, my wife Jasmin, daughter Jana, and I revisited Bacolod. An important gathering awaited: a reunion with my longtime mentor and friend, Monico Puentevella.
We met at Bob’s Restaurant — freshly renovated but still filled with old memories. Open since 1965, Bob’s is more than a restaurant; it’s a Bacolod landmark. I remember it as “Bob’s Big Boy,” owned by Dr. Homero Sicangco, our family pediatrician.
After basketball games during my elementary days in La Salle, our family would eat at Bob’s. Our other favorites were Chicken House and Pendy’s — now called Mimi’s. At Bob’s, my order was always the same: Sate Babe with Fruit Punch. Last week, I had it again. Still perfect.
Joining Tito Monico were his sons — Nicky, Brian, Rocky, and Kalaw — with their wives and children. Everyone’s involved in their family businesses; Rolling Hills Memorial Park just celebrated its 45th anniversary.
Kalaw continues the family’s political legacy as the Vice Mayor of Bacolod City.
“Nyoks,” as my dad Bunny fondly calls him, has always been close to our family. My mom, Allen, even co-hosted a local TV show with him back in the 1970s.
But beyond the personal, Monico Puentevella’s story is a national one. Few have contributed more to Philippine sports. In Bacolod City, he served as a three-term mayor and congressman; nationally, as chairman of the Philippine Olympic Committee and commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission.
He is currently the president of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas — and he played a pivotal role in leading our country to its first-ever Olympic gold medal through Hidilyn Diaz.
At 79, Monico remains unstoppable. A week before our lunch, he was in Norway for a weightlifting meet. An hour after our meal, he had a Zoom meeting with a group from Bahrain.
Last year, we co-organized the National Weightlifting Open at SM Seaside. Over 300 athletes competed — including Hidilyn herself.
Monico and I have crossed paths in two Olympics: Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024. In Paris, we met for lunch near the Sacré-Cœur, reminiscing about Philippine sports and dreaming of more Olympic triumphs.
Sports, of course, filled much of our talk that day at Bob’s. But so did life — and laughter. Because this past October had been rainy, when tennis was canceled, he told me he tried pickleball.
“Importante gid ang balhas kag exercise ha,” he said with a grin.
That’s vintage Monico — always active, always passionate.
After lunch, nostalgia tugged again. We returned to Bob’s for an early dinner. I ordered a giant cheeseburger and a buko shake. Maybe that’s why, decades later, my favorite drink at Thirsty Juices & Shakes remains the same: the buko shake.
Bacolod, like that drink, stays the same. Always sweet.