✊ RESIST: From Mactan to Main Street — #NoKings and the Legacy of Lapulapu 🇵🇭

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✊This July 4, as Americans celebrate independence, thousands have joined the #NoKings protests across the U.S.—calling out authoritarianism, corporate greed, and systemic inequality. For us Filipino Americans, these calls echo something deeper, older, and personal. Before 1776, before George Washington and the Boston Tea Party, Lapulapu of Mactan was already saying “No” to empire.

Published on: Friday, July 4, 2025

In 1521, Spanish colonizer Ferdinand Magellan landed on our shores with a flag and a cross, expecting submission. But Datu Lapulapu—tattooed, fearless, and free—stood tall and resisted. In the Battle of Mactan, Lapulapu and his warriors, with little more than blades and bravery, defeated Magellan and sent a message that still rings through time: No kings. No colonizers. No compromise.

“Before America had its revolution, we were already resisting. Before independence was a holiday, it was our reality. We have been saying NO to kings since 1521.” 🇵🇭

Today, #NoKings isn't just about monarchy—it's about rejecting any system that tries to control, silence, or divide us. It's a call to reclaim power, identity, and history. It's what our ancestors did. It's what Lapulapu did.

Whether you're marching in L.A., New York, or the Bay, know this: every time you resist injustice, you carry Lapulapu in you. And that resistance? It’s built in our blood. It’s PinoyBuilt.

“We don’t need kings. We need each other. And we need to remember who we are.” ✊ — PinoyBuilt.com

📣 Calling All Filipino-Americans 🇵🇭🇺🇸

Whether you're a first-generation immigrant who journeyed here from the Philippines, a second-generation Filipino-American born and raised in the U.S., or like me—a 1.5‑generation Filipino—you belong here. PinoyBuilt is a space for all of us to celebrate our roots, share our stories, and build community.

🌟 Words That Inspire

“I’m Olivia Rodrigo. I’m a Filipina, I’m a lumpia fan, I’m a daughter, a granddaughter and a great‑granddaughter.”
“I wanna say proud Pinoy ako, my Tagalog isn't so good, but I'm working on it.” — Olivia Rodrigo

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