Back to My Roots in Liliw, Laguna: Tricycles, Family, and Filipino Street Life

This is episode two of our Philippines trip — if you missed part one covering the flight from Ontario to Manila, start there. We’re in Liliw, a town in the province of Laguna — think of a province like a county if you’re from the US. This is where Abby’s family is from, and honestly, a big part of where I grew up too.

We’re staying in what they call a subdivision here. It’s not like an American subdivision — it’s more like a property owned by one person where different families built houses over time. Anyway, we’re walking out to the main road, and right away you notice: the roads are single-lane each way, but the lanes mean nothing. Pedestrians are the lowest in the food chain out here. Motorcycles, jeepneys, tricycles — they’re not moving for you.

And you hear it before you see it. Right in front of Abby’s mom’s place is a coliseum. Cockfighting — it’s legal here, super popular, one of the most common things people gamble on. This is where I really wish everyone had EVs, just for the noise alone.

Tricycles: How to Get Around (and Why I Named My Tesla After One)

The main way people get around here is jeepneys and tricycles. A tricycle is exactly what it sounds like — three wheels. The cab has one wheel, the motorcycle powering it has two. That’s it, that’s the name. The fare is 20 pesos, which at about 57 pesos to the dollar works out to… honestly my math was struggling because I was also trying not to get run over. It’s cheap though.

If you’ve watched my EV content, now you know where some of those names come from. My Model Y? I call it Tricycle. My old Model X was Jeepney. That’s not random — that’s from right here.

We hopped in one and headed up Ilaya. “Ilaya” literally means “up” — the street just goes uphill, so that’s what the whole area is called.

One thing to know about riding these on the downhill: the drivers cut the engine and just coast in neutral to save fuel. So you’re walking uphill and these things are rolling at you almost silently. You really have to pay attention. There’s also a lot of beeping — that’s just how you communicate on these roads.

The Cybertruck of the Philippines

While we were out I spotted something I had to stop and film. They call it an “owner” — it’s this really unique vehicle, kind of like a customized jeepney variant. Very cool, has some history to it. I’m working on a dedicated video about this one, so stay tuned.

Walking Up Ilaya

After the tricycle we kept walking up. “Ilaya” means up — the whole area is called that because the street literally goes uphill the whole way. I was breathing a little hard by the end of it, not gonna lie.

This part of town is called Maslun. It’s a Barangay — the closest translation I can give is like a neighborhood, or a hood, not in a bad way, just what it is. And this house right here belonged to my grandma, my mom’s mom. She passed, my mom inherited it. This is part of where I grew up. A lot of the houses here are three floors — land is expensive so they build up, not out. No sprawling one-story homes here.

This is all my mom’s side of the family. Half my life here was on these streets. The other half was my dad’s side, which we’re also planning to visit, so you’ll meet them too.

Santiago Street and the Santiago Lakers

All the way up at the end is a church, and that area is called Santiago. My aunt lives up there — she’s got twin boys, my cousins. They had a basketball team back in the day, probably the 80s. They were champions. The Santiago Lakers. Team is still around, I just don’t know how they’re doing these days.

About a quarter of this street is all family. I don’t know a lot of them anymore since I haven’t been back in a while, but that’s how it works here. You don’t introduce yourself by first name. You say your last name, or you say “I’m so-and-so’s kid.” That’s how they know you. Family name matters here.

How to Get Around (and How to Get Home)

If you need a ride, either flag down a tricycle or find one of the stops where they line up. Fare is 20 pesos. The dollar is about 57 pesos right now, so round it down to 50 and it’s basically 40 cents. My math was a little off because I was also trying not to get run over.

Here’s a tip if you ever visit: nobody uses addresses. Everything is landmarks. If you want to get somewhere, you name a landmark or a person. Abby’s mom is well-known here because she’s a pediatrician. When I take a tricycle back to the house I just tell the driver “take me to the doctor’s house.” That’s it. He knows. If you’re a professional here — doctor, engineer — everybody knows you.

I Got Found

I was walking around trying to remember where my cousin lived and honestly striking out. Three years since my last visit and my memory was not cooperating. Then my cousin’s wife spots me in the street and flags me down. Found him. That’s how it goes here — word travels fast. As soon as you see one or two people, everyone already knows you’re in town.

My uncle on my dad’s side called too. For anyone wondering how I’m staying connected out here — I run two phones, an iPhone and an Android. The Android is on Google Fi, which works internationally like you’re local for data — no SIM swaps, no surprise roaming charges. Facebook Messenger for everything else. For data coming from the US, Google Fi is one of the better options out there, and you can get $60 off with my referral link.

My cousin ended up finding me while I was wandering and picked me up on his scooter. This was actually the guy I was looking for — I just couldn’t remember his house.

The Bonds, and a Visit to Jason

We stopped by my cousin’s restaurant — The Bonds. If you’re in Liliw, come through, they’ve got good food. They got hit by the storm too but they’re still going.

It is so humid here. I was sweating the whole time, and there was no water at the house, which is a whole other thing. But we had a plan: quick fade, then figure the rest out.

My barber here is Jason. Every time I come back, I go see him. If you’re on Facebook I’ll drop his link in the video — give him a follow.

Got the fade, got back to the house, and that’s a wrap on this episode. A lot of my cousins are actually around right now, which I didn’t expect, so next week we’re going to be spending some real time together.

Next up is my dad’s side — we’re heading to Palawan, Philippines. Different island, different vibe entirely. Read the next episode: Palawan homecoming, an EV charging surprise, and the beach I grew up on.