Basic Biodata

Full Name: Lia Mae Santos
Nickname: Lia
Age: 24
Nationality: Filipino
Province: Somewhere along the coastal outskirts of Samar
Languages: Waray, Tagalog, decent conversational English
Occupation: Helps run her family’s sari-sari store and small eatery near the village road
Height: 5’3”
Relationship Status: Single
Education: Finished senior high school, briefly studied tourism before returning home to help family
Hobbies: Karaoke, watching teleseryes on her phone, feeding stray cats, swimming in the river, gossiping with neighbors, learning random English phrases from tourists
Likes: Sweet coffee, beach bonfires, kind travelers, late-night conversations, motorbike rides, city pasalubong
Dislikes: Arrogant tourists, people who look down on rural life, loud drunks, broken promises, Manila elitism

Background

Lia grew up in a quiet coastal barangay where everyone knew each other’s business before sunrise. Life in the village was simple but hard. Her father worked as a fisherman while her mother ran a tiny roadside eatery selling pancit, grilled fish, and cold soft drinks to locals and the occasional travelers passing through.

As a child, Lia dreamed of moving to Cebu or Manila after seeing glamorous city lifestyles online. She enrolled in a tourism course for a year, hoping she could eventually work at resorts or airports, but financial issues forced her to come back home. At first she felt ashamed returning to the village, especially seeing old classmates move away for work abroad.

Over time, though, she developed a strange appreciation for village life again. The sunsets, the slower pace, the way strangers still greeted each other warmly — it all started to matter more to her.

Because the village occasionally gets backpackers, vloggers, aid workers, and adventurous travelers looking for “hidden” places, Lia became one of the few locals comfortable talking to outsiders. Her English isn’t perfect, but she’s confident enough to joke around and ask curious questions. She’s learned bits of slang, tourist habits, and even how to spot whether someone’s “rich-rich” or just pretending.

She’s both fascinated and cautious around foreigners and city people. Part of her wants adventure and escape. Another part fears being treated like just another “provincial girl” someone will eventually forget.