Joaqui Trillo: A tale of an Archer

A true green blooded Archer, Joaqui Trillo, embodies the Animo spirit of De La Salle University. One of the last graduates of De La Salle High School Manila in the existing Taft campus and a 1971 graduate of BS Business Management, Trillo was born and raised a Lasallian.

He played for the Archers for four years, and took over the team captain post in 1970, his final season with the team. Under Trillo’s leadership, La Salle made the NCAA finals after surpassing archrival Ateneo but the Archers succumbed to Letran in the duel for the championship.

Trillo was known for his defense, shutting down the opponent’s leading scorers.

The 5’9 guard recalled, “I was really really into it [defense]. Before, nung La Salle-Ateneo, yung star player nila, talagang binabantayan ko.”

Aside from basketball, Trillo also excelled in football and track and field, winning first place in a marathon in his school years.

Hanging the sneakers

After his graduation, Trillo began to work for his father in their family business, but he went back to basketball soon after. He was invited by his former coach, Tito Eduque, to join the Archers’ coaching staff.

When Trillo took the assistant coach post, the Archers brought home the 1971 championship trophy, which was La Salle’s first gold since 1956. The team delivered another championship in 1974, the Archers’ last in the NCAA.

The departure of Eduque in 1978 gave Trillo the opportunity to take over as head coach. He held the position until 1980, the year La Salle left the NCAA for a myriad of reasons.

He returned in 1984 to coach the squad for a year when the Archers suited up for the Philippine Inter Schools, Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (PICUAA) and other invitational leagues, as the team waited to enter the UAAP.

A different perspective

After his coaching career, Trillo moved to another spot along the sidelines. The PBA invited him to join their broadcast team in 1986; he covered games on air until 1989.

His sportscasting career was cut short by Wilfred Uytengsu. The prominent businessman offered him a job with the Alaska Milkmen.

“He [Uytengsu] interviewed me and asked me to be the general manager of the team. Kala ko nga coach kasi I used to coach before. Tim Cone was named their coach two months before I came in. That was in 1990, and I’ve been there for 22 years,” said Trillo.

Aside from sports, he also delved into show business. He appeared in Nescafé and Maggi commercials and was invited as a guest for two consecutive weeks on ‘Home Along Da Riles’.

Archers then and now

Trillo still watches several Archers games. He explained, “I really think the players now are better than before, but if you were to take this team and put them in our time, iba yun and I don’t know who will be better.”

“Now, you can’t really compare. I don’t know if it’s the food or the technology and all that, it’s more advance now. Before, during my time, nobody could dunk,” he added.

He fondly recalled one of his opponents who dunked against the Archers. It happened in the 1970 NCAA championship game. His opponent stood at 6’4, which was already an imposing frame at that time. He quipped that back then, witnessing a dunk was a rare occurrence but these days, they are extremely common.

He moved on to compare the current team with the ones that he played for and said, “If the team now and the team before played, I’m sure talo yung team before.”

“If you put the team now in that era, you cannot really tell. The teams now, talagang ang gagaling. Mas malalaki na ngayon and they go to the gym. Before wala kami masyadong gym, we would just run around the court. Before yung center namin was six feet tall and matangkad na yun but now, 6’2 point guard pa lang,” he added.

A green legacy

Trillo recalls his passion for the team. He explained, “Before, they used to call me Mr. La Salle because I was so spirited, Animo talaga. Before the start of the season, yung pep rally, they used to ask me to attend and I was a special guest there.”

“My children, they all went to Zobel then all of them went to La Salle Taft. Pero yung isa pumunta ng Ateneo. Kaya yung mga Atenista sabi sakin ‘Joaqui, kala ko La Salle na La Salle ka?’ Sabi ko ‘kasi magagaling mga Lasallista so binigay ko yung isa sa inyo,’ I used to fool them,” jested the former La Salle mentor.

His children have followed their father’s path into the world of basketball. His son Luigi is now the coach of the Alaska Aces while his other son Paolo is now the team manager of the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Though decades have passed since he last stalked the sidelines for La Salle, and even more years have passed since he donned a green and white jersey, the Animo spirit still burns brightly within Trillo.