IN THE latest episode of his vlog, "D'Lazy Road Trip", with actor Zanjoe Marudo and comedian Yubs Azarcon, LA Tenorio took a trip to his hometown of Nasugbu.
There’s a lot of love, and pride, for the PBA’s Tinyente in the Batangas seaside town. “Pride ng Nasugbu ‘yan!” said one of his childhood friends and one of the proprietors of the famed Kainan sa Dalampasigan restaurant.
“Highest paid athlete, ‘di ba?” she said jokingly. “Sa larangan ng basketball?”
The destination restaurant — a favorite place to visit for bikers, as well — holds a special place in Tenorio’s family history. It was the site of the 50th anniversary celebration of his grandparents. Apparently the restaurant owners had to expand the restaurant to accommodate the event.
After eating at the restaurant, Tenorio paid a visit to his family home to say hello to his now 99-year-old lolo. “Hinahabol po niya 100,000 [years old]. Pag naka-100,000 na raw siya, okay na raw,” Tenorio explained to viewers.
When he arrived, his grandfather gave him a little gift of P5,000 in cash to give to LA’s children.
“Ako?” Tenorio asked his grandfather. “Wala ako?”
“Ah, mayaman [na] ‘yan!”
Humor, it seems, is a big part of the Tenorio family dynamic.
As they settled down to eat, LA told Zanjoe that, before the pandemic, his grandfather still went around to bike. “May pinagmanahan ka pala kung bakit ka naging ‘Iron Man’ ng PBA,” commented Marudo.
“May binigay siya sa akin na anting-anting,” added LA.
The family of the six-time PBA champ also explained to the group the origin of the LA’s childhood nickname of “Mahal.” It didn’t stand for love, but rather, because they had to spend a lot of money on LA when he was a baby.
When he was very young, it turned out, Tenorio was hit by a severe case of sepsis, defined in Mayo Clinic as a “potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when the body's response to an infection damages its own tissues.” He had to be administered antibiotics.
Up to now, LA’s kids go to the same doctor who took care of him when he was a kid.
More childhood anecdotes were revealed during the short reunion, including Tenorio’s penchant for getting hit by tricycles as a hyperactive young boy, and that time he accidentally hit a priest with an incense burner during a mass.
And with fifteen years in the PBA, what is the prediction of LA’s grandfather for the Gineral?
“Magiging coach ‘yan.”
According to the show notes, the episode was filmed back in February, when the area was under MGCQ protocols. The PBA veteran stressed that their visit followed health protocols, considering the age of his grandparent.
Check out the full episode below, which includes a little shootaround in the barangay court where LA first learned to play basketball.
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