What began as a way to occupy his boredom during the long pandemic lockdowns quietly transformed into something bigger. For Ryan Morales Reyes—now widely known as Ninong Ry—the kitchen became both a refuge and a stage. Although he didn’t chase the spotlight and was simply cooking from the heart, he quickly gained a loyal fan base.

Today, the Malabon-based content creator is a household name known for his humorous, no-frills cooking videos and his charm. His community totals 9.5 million followers on

An old iPhone, a home kitchen

When the pandemic hit, Ryan was managing his family’s chicken business, handling everything from live poultry to value-added meat products. After his father passed away in early 2019, he stepped in to take over his father's role. Just weeks after leaving a restaurant venture, COVID-19 hit.

He helped his mom manage their palengke stall in Malabon (one of the fewessential businesses allowed to remain open). Still, even that was eventually forced to shut down when market vendors started to get COVID-19 infections.

He recalls, "So sabi ko, magdo-DOTA nalang ako. Ang hirap kasi, mayroon tayongmalalim na anxiety noong panahon, lalo ako feeling ko mayroon akong COVID, pero good thing wala. So talagang naghahanap ako ng isang bagay na magda-divert na attention ko. (I told myself I would just play DOTA. I got anxiety because Ifelt I had COVID, but thankfully I didn’t.) Eventually I started posting silly food stuff on Facebook groups like Let’s Eat Pare. Then people started asking for the recipes.”

Using his mom’s old iPhone, he gave his growing fanbase what they wanted: cooking video content served with humor and spontaneity. Of course, a reliable internet connection was a must. For Ry, who grew up playing DOTA and a Hotel and Restaurant Management alumnus from Benilde, his online needs had always relied on PLDT Home.

“Whether I get paid or not, I’d still be doing this in real life,” Ninong Ry says, shrugging off the idea that internet fame changed him. His content may be viral, but his approach is refreshingly grounded.

Sumakses with consistency

Ry says that in the early days of building his creator career, when everything was produced, edited, and uploaded from his kitchen, a strong internet was so crucial because he needed to upload videos every day. “The challenge isn’t staying real, it’s staying consistent,” he admits.

So, he filmed and posted videos every day. “You can’t keep cooking the same thing. People would say the lasagna was great, but you can’t make lasagna every week. You always need something new. And that's the hardest thing." In short, Ninong Ry achieved success with his consistency. 

Like Ry, many aspiring content creators who need to produce consistently want a reliable connection that can give them the flexibility for their daily internet needs. That’s what PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid offers them – a strong fiber connection that’s affordable and adaptable based on their daily usage. 

With the fiber service now available in prepaid, customers can enjoy the same reliability of PLDT Home connection without contracts and monthly bills. With a one-time fee of P999, customers can enjoy the PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid service, which includes seven (7) days of free unlimited fiber with speeds of up to 50 Mbps. This is sufficient to support multiple devices for HD video streaming, video calls, downloading files, and online gaming. 

The kare-kare that changed everything

One of his earliest viral videos was the sizzling crispy kare-kare. "It wasn't a family recipe," he says. "I built it from scratch, and it was the first time I ever did that."

That’s part of Ninong Ry’s appeal: there’s no gatekeeping, no pretense of perfection. Just real food, made with thought and humor—and often a dose of self-deprecation. So, when a friend told him that he had the personality of a content creator, Ry decided to go all in.

“I was very intentional. I built my logo, set up my pages, and just focused all my attention on making content. I’ve always had the mindset to stay focused at work, do what’s in front of you.”

His videos caught the attention of TV host Jessica Soho, who featured him on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS). “At first, I didn’t think it was a big deal, but when I started talking to people, I realized that being recognized by someone like Jessica Soho and KMJS was huge.”

But he does admit that something had shifted. He discovered that he can do more and redefine his own success. At that point, he felt that “Sumakses na ako. That's when I thought, okay, this can be a real career. This can be my path."

Healthy masculinity, unexpected love story

It’s not a surprise that many of Ninong Ry’s fans are men who have never cooked in their life or are just beginning to find their way around the kitchen. His easygoing style connected with them, especially because he looks like your kuya or ninong next door, plus he often addresses his audience as “pare.”

“I’ve always just tried to be myself,” he says.

One woman even told him that watching his videos helped save her marriage. “She said when her husband started watching me, he began to cook for the family and to reconnect with them. That really stuck with me.”

With social media platforms dominated by ego and bravado, Ninong Ry stands out as the antithesis of toxic masculinity. Through humor, honesty, and food, he reminds people that cooking is a way of showing up for your loved ones, that it’s love in its most delicious form.

“A lot of men who’ve never cooked before message me, saying they made adobo for their wife, or breakfast for their kids. And I’m like, yes! Just cook for the people you love. That’s it, that’s love.”

In the midst of his rising online fame in 2020, another message from a fan changed his life. From so many that he was receiving from strangers, he decided to reply to this one. Their conversations revolved around food and eventually became of shared values, humor, and connection. This simple exchange started his successful love life.

“She just messaged me,” he says, a little sheepish. “I didn’t expect anything to come from it—but I’m lucky it did.” Ninong Ry and Belle’s son was born in 2024. 

Today, Ninong Ry continues to build on his success. His team has grown, his kitchen content now fuels full-time work, and his platform gives him the stability he once searched for. He’s not afraid to cry over memories of his dad. He’s not shy to talk about wanting a stable future. And he openly calls himself a provider not just in income, but in intention.

“I still don’t think of myself as famous,” Ninong Ry says. “But I do think I have a responsibility now—to keep being real, to keep showing up."