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Ivana explores ‘buhay probinsiya’ versus city life with Mercedes Lasac of Ka-Mangyan Vlogs 

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Liezel dela Cruz

Ivana Alawi is a city chic – she was born in Bahrain and spent her teen years in Manila. In contrast, her guest in her recent vlog, Mercedes Lasac of ‘Ka-Mangyan Vlog,’ is a quintessential province lass, deeply rooted in the countryside from birth in Mindoro. They recently collaborated in a vlog to show us the beauty and contrasts that define ‘buhay-probinsya’ and ‘buhay-siyudad.’ <div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="703" referrerPolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PwHhZZxq64I" title="PROBINSYA + CITY LIFE! | IVANA ALAWI" width="1250"></iframe></div>Ivana&#x27;s dream of living in the province finally comes true as she visits Mercedes in Oriental Mindoro. In turn, Mercedes warmly welcomes Ivana into their world and gives her a taste of the province life that she&#x27;s always longed for. So, first up on the agenda: Ivana&#x27;s crash course in fruit-picking. But before they dive in, they made sure Ivana&#x27;s geared up for the job – long sleeves and pajamas to beat the sun, and don&#x27;t forget the trusty salakot hat. Then they were off to the farm riding in style on a carabao cart. Mercedes mentioned that the farm was originally meant for planting rice, but they’ve grown watermelons and monggo beans instead for the summer season. The next task was harvesting monggo beans, also known as balatong. It&#x27;s quite a detailed process of carefully handpicking the sun-dried pods, each containing around 10 to 15 seeds. Ivana was enchanted by the magic of cooking with freshly harvested ingredients. From the farm to their plates, they gathered squash, tomatoes, and green chili for their lunch. And they could even pluck the tomatoes right off the vine and eat them straight away. Then, from harvesting fruits and vegetables, it was time for Ivana to try her hand at catching chickens.She totally vibed with the mountain and rice paddy scenes, plus that fresh countryside air! This is the daily life of Mercedes, her family, and fellow ‘Mangyans’ – they chill on the farms in the afternoon, especially when there’s no electricity. She also got to meet Mercedes’ father, Tatay June, who’s inspiring and admirable for working hard day in and day out in the fields. Tatay June takes a lot of pride in their lifestyle. They&#x27;re all about being thrifty and resourceful, like, instead of relying on LPG gas for cooking, they stick to the old-school methods of cooking over wood or charcoal, which Ivana even got to experience. Doesn&#x27;t her outdoor cooking session remind you of her role as Cherry Red in &quot;<a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/afamilyaffair" target="_blank">A Family Affair</a>&quot;? After Ivana transformed into a province lass, she flipped the script and showed Mercedes a taste of city life in Manila. To highlight the difference, instead of picking ingredients straight from the farm, as they did in Mindoro, this time, they’re hitting up the grocery store. While they rode on a carabao cart in the province, it was a car ride through city traffic in Manila.Mercedes was surprised when she saw how pricey watermelons are in the city, compared to the half-price or even free ones they could snag back in the province. And the pre-packed monggo beans were a far cry from picking them one by one in the province. At the grocery store, Ivana didn&#x27;t just pick up the essentials; the “<a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/batangquiapo" target="_blank">FPJs Batang Quiapo</a>” star also treated Mercedes to a shopping spree for goodies like chocolates and ice cream, which are rare finds in the province since the town market is quite a trek away.After their grocery run, Mercedes whipped up &#x27;ginisang monggo&#x27; using a fancy induction cooker – a far cry from the traditional wood and fire cooking method they use back in Mindoro. In the city, they dined indoors at a marble table with proper plates and utensils. But in the province, it was a whole different scene: they gathered around a wooden table outside the house, with the food laid out on banana leaves, eating with their hands, right next to the farm.Back to the scenes in Mindoro, touched by the kindness, hospitality, and simplicity of Mercedes&#x27; family, Ivana generously gifted them 50,000 pesos. Additionally, she extended her gratitude to the hardworking farmers who aided in the harvest by paying them 30,000 pesos.The laid-back charm of province life or the hustle and bustle of the city – which lifestyle appeals more to you, Kapamilya?