PinoyBuilt — Stories of Filipino America

Vallejo, CA • September 2026. Happy Birthday, Michelle: From a 1978 Wedding in Imus to My 40th in Hiddenbrooke. happy birthday michelle, michelle cuason, michelle angeles, ninang, chesca, 1978 imus cavite wedding, hiddenbrooke vallejo, virgo birthday, filipino american family, perseveranda, angeles family, kapamilya, 9/20. Kapamilya • September 2026 Happy Birthday, Michelle: From a 1978 Wedding in Imus to My 40th in Hiddenbrooke Twenty years after my 40th birthday party in Hiddenbrooke, a greeting to Michelle, a fellow Virgo, and the family story that began at a 1978 wedding in Imus, Cavite. Michelle and me in the kitchen of our old house in Hiddenbrooke at my 40th birthday celebration, September 20, 2006. Happy birthday, Michelle ! Twenty years ago today, you and I took the photo above in the kitchen of our old house in Hiddenbrooke , Vallejo , at my 40th birthday celebration. It was the last big birthday party I ever had. Wishing you...

Negros Occidental • May 2026. Negros 19: I Know Marienne Cuison — And I Believe Her Over the AFP. Lyle Prijoles, Marienne Cuison, Negros 19, AFP massacre, Filipino American human rights, Toboso Negros Occidental 2026, 5/13. Negros Occidental • May 2026 Negros 19: I Know Marienne Cuison — And I Believe Her Over the AFP A personal reckoning with the April 19 massacre in Toboso — and why two generations of Philippine state violence have made it impossible for this Fil-Am editor to take the military at their word. PinoyBuilt illustration, not a photograph: a family in silhouette holds one lit candle beside a torn official report and an empty medal ribbon. The question at the heart of this piece is whose account of April 19 deserves belief. The last time I saw Marienne Cuison, we were standing outside Skyview Memorial in Vallejo, California. January 2022. We were there for Tito Maning — Manuel Perseveranda, my uncle — and the...

Celebrating Emmy's 10th Birthday in Vallejo By J.F.R. Perseveranda | February 28, 2026 | Gear: Sony a7III + 85mm f/1.8 Ress Angeles and Reeza. © J.F.R. Perseveranda Happy birthday to you too, Ress! Pisces!  Another one.  Great to see you Reeza. Love your San Francisco 49ers jersey, Ress. #85! The 85mm Perspective: Finding Focus in the Early Moments Taken with my Sony a7iii camera and my prime Sony 85mm f/1.8 lens. Community & Context More birthday photos — Happy 10th! Sony a7iii Photography — Sony Alpha J.F.R. Perseveranda Founder of PinoyBuilt. A Filipino-American writer and photographer documenting heritage through the lens of a Sony a7III. Learn More → Mabuhay! Join the Conversation. PinoyBuilt is more than a blog—it’s a living archive of the Fi...

Celebrating Emmy's 10th Birthday in Vallejo By J.F.R. Perseveranda | February 28, 2026 | Sony a7III + 85mm f/1.8 Happy tenth birthday to my beautiful niece, Emmy! Chesca & Elayna at Emmy's 10th birthday celebration. Vallejo, California. © J.F.R. Perseveranda Playing a board game before everyone arrives. Vallejo, California. © J.F.R. Perseveranda The bday girl plays with cousins from both sides of her family. Vallejo, California. © J.F.R. Perseveranda Tito Ress reppin' our team. Go Niners! Vallejo, California. © J.F.R. Perseveranda The 85mm Perspective: Finding Focus in the Early Moments These frames were captured using the Sony a7III paired with the Sony 85mm f/1.8 . This prime lens is exceptional for capturing the candid energy of a family gathering, allowing the background to melt away so the focus remains entirely on the connection between cousins...