Patmei writes an Opinion column and a Lifestyle column at Mindanao Times, the oldest and leading newspaper in Davao City, Philippines. She has been a published writer since she was seven years old. But they actually started paying for her to write when she was 17 and still in college. She first started with Mindanao Daily Monitor as a daily columnist and Lifestyle editor while pursuing her degree in Economics. When Monitor closed, she was offered a home at Ang Peryodiko Dabaw, which later became known as Sun.Star Davao. She stopped writing newspaper columns for a time when she became involved in politics and governance. She later returned to writing a weekly Lifestyle column at Mindanao Times as a way of balancing her toxic political career. Now that she has "retired" from full-time government work, she now plans to devote more time to her first love, writing. Her columns are "Shoptalk," "Yellow Box," "My Davao," and "Talkback Thursday."