Nica & Jay: Happy Thanksgiving!

-

Nica and Jay pose before they spend Thanksgiving lunch at his mom's place.

Comments

Post a Comment

Hi! Thank you for dropping by. Please leave us a comment. Sige na!

Popular posts from this blog

Mindanao Earthquake 2026: 7.8 Magnitude Kills 32, Tsunami Hits General Santos City

-
Image
Mindanao, Philippines • June 2026. Magnitude 7.8 earthquake kills dozens in General Santos City and Sarangani. Mindanao earthquake, tsunami, General Santos City, Cotabato Trench, Filipino diaspora relief, Fil-Am. Mindanao • June 2026 Mindanao Earthquake 2026: 7.8 Magnitude Kills 32, Tsunami Hits General Santos City The most powerful quake to hit the Philippines since 1990 struck southern Mindanao on June 8, killing at least 32, triggering a tsunami, and plunging Fil-Am families into a desperate silence — no power, no signal, no word from home. General Santos City — population 700,000 — sustained catastrophic structural damage when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck 13 km southwest of the city on the morning of June 8, 2026. | Hero image: Gemini/Imagen for PinoyBuilt It was a Monday morning, the first day of a new school year for more than three million children across Mindanao. Parents had packed bags and sent ...
Read more

Marks of the Ancestors: Mel Orpilla and the Filipino Story of Vallejo

-
Image
Vallejo, California • March 2026. Mel Orpilla: Historian, Martial Artist, and Keeper of Vallejo's Filipino Memory. mel orpilla, vallejo filipino history, filipinos in vallejo, balintawak arnis, island warrior fighting sticks, manong generation, mare island naval shipyard, fil-am history, ifugao, ilocano heritage, pamana, filipino american history month. Vallejo, CA • Filipino American History Month 2026 Marks of the Ancestors: Mel Orpilla and the Filipino Story of Vallejo Historian, martial artist, and cultural keeper Mel Orpilla has spent decades ensuring that the Filipino presence in Vallejo—one of the oldest in Northern California—is documented, honored, and passed on. Mel Orpilla — historian, Balintawak Arnis master, and keeper of Vallejo's Filipino memory. 📍 Vallejo, California In the city of Vallejo, history lives in unexpected places. It lives in faded photographs tucked into family albums, in stor...
Read more

San Diego State, A.B. Samahan, and Fall 2026: What Filipino-American Families Need to Know

-
Image
San Diego, California • April 2026. San Diego State, A.B. Samahan, and Fall 2026: What Filipino-American Families Need to Know. sdsu admissions 2026, ab samahan, filipino american college, san diego state university, california university admissions, fil-am students sdsu, socal, national city filipino community. EDUCATION • CALIFORNIA • APRIL 2026 San Diego State, A.B. Samahan, and Fall 2026: What Filipino-American Families Need to Know SDSU is not a backup. It is home to one of the oldest and largest Filipino-American student organizations in the country — and for many Fil-Am families, it is the right school for reasons the rankings will never capture. April 2018: Nica's senior year in high school. My kids Francesca, JianCarlo & Veronica pose in front of Hepner Hall with Diego, an SDSU student (and son of my next door neighbor in the Philippines). Every spring, Filipino-American families in Califor...
Read more

The BSN Playbook (2026): The Definitive Guide to Elite Nursing Programs in America and California

-
Image
USA • March 2026. The BSN Playbook 2026: The Definitive Guide to Elite Nursing Programs in America and California. BSN nursing schools 2026, Filipino American nurses, direct entry BSN programs, California nursing admissions, best nursing schools USA, Samuel Merritt accelerated BSN, Dominican University nursing, fil-am healthcare careers. HEALTHCARE & EDUCATION • MARCH 2026 The BSN Playbook (2026): The Definitive Guide to Elite Nursing Programs in America and California From the nation's top nursing schools to California's brutal admissions battlefield — a complete, evergreen guide for ambitious students, Filipino-American families, and anyone serious about building a career in nursing. For decades, nursing was seen as a stable, respectable — but secondary — career path. Something practical rather than prestigious. A "backup plan" for students who didn't make it into medical school. That p...
Read more

The Filipino Who Helped Found Los Angeles — And Was Erased From the Plaque

-
Image
Los Angeles, California • June 2026. Antonio Miranda Rodriguez: The Filipino Who Helped Found Los Angeles. antonio miranda rodriguez, los angeles founder, filipino california history, 1781 pueblo, fil-am history, manila galleon, filipinos in america. Filipino American History • June 2026 The Filipino Who Helped Found Los Angeles — And Was Erased From the Plaque Antonio Miranda Rodriguez was recruited as one of the original 12 settler families of El Pueblo de Los Angeles in 1781. A father's loyalty to a dying daughter cost him his place in history. The erased name. The recovered truth. El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, where Antonio Miranda Rodriguez — a Manila-born Filipino gunsmith — served as master armorer and was buried in 1784. A memorial tile in the Presidio Chapel was installed by the local Filipino American community in his honor. In the summer of 1781, a Filipino man was making his way north toward a river in...
Read more

5 Years Later: Wrestling, Resilience, and a Fil-Am Journey

-
Image
Fremont, CA • January 31, 2026. Half a Decade of Growth: A Senior Year Reflection: Five years after the Mission San Jose Invitational, we reflect on the grit of the Fil-Am journey and building a future on Turtle Island. wrestling, benicia, high school, student-athlete, turtle island, fil-am, heritage, january 31 Fremont, CA • January 31, 2026 Half a Decade of Growth: A Senior Year Reflection Five years after the Mission San Jose Invitational: Building grit on the mat and a future on Turtle Island. Looking at this photo now, I don't just see a wrestling match; I see a pivotal moment in the journey from student-athlete to adulthood. In the Filipino-American experience, we often talk about "building"—building a life, building a legacy, and building a future on Turtle Island . "Wrestling is a metaphor for our collective experience. It’s about finding your footing, staying grounded, and facing ev...
Read more

Christmas Day 2025: Dominic & Paige

-
Image
Maligayang Pasko Kapamilya at Kababayan! 🎄 2025 December 25: Vallejo, California. Dominic and Paige. Dominic & Paige - 2005 July 16 Here you go Paige and Dominic. Flashback to Chesca's first birthday at Blue Rock when I shot this photo. Paige's lola brought her and her sisters. Twenty years ago! 💛 Explore Filipino American heritage, culture, and stories! Join our Fil-Am community to connect, comment, celebrate, and share experiences. Mabuhay! 📌 Follow  PinoyBuilt Instagram 👍 Like  PinoyBuilt Facebook ✍️ Follow  PinoyBuilt Blog 📺 Follow  PinoyBuilt YouTube 🎓 Interested in helping us create content? Apply as a  college intern  and join our team! #PinoyPride #PinoyCommunity #FilAm #FilipinoAmerican #PilipinoAmerican
Read more