PinoyBuilt — Stories of Filipino America

Chicago, IL • October 2026. Remembering Pinsan Jun: Chicago, December 1987, After Medusa’s. jun rivera, leonardo rivera jr, allan rivera, jason palma, medusa’s chicago, medusa’s on sheffield, chicago 1987, albany park chicago, gordon tech, barr tower lakeview, filipino american chicago, chicago nightlife, clubbing, barkada, kabataan, in memoriam, 10/25. Chicago • December 1987 Remembering Pinsan Jun: Chicago, December 1987, After Medusa’s Jun Rivera would have turned 58 today. A street corner in Albany Park, his Mustang, and the three of us fresh out of Medusa’s on a night I still can’t pin to a date. Chicago, late December 1987 (or possibly January 1988): J.F., Jun and Allan Rivera on a corner in Albany Park after Medusa’s, with Jun’s Mustang in the bottom right corner. Photo by Liza. Jun Rivera would have turned 58 today. I already posted one photo of him earlier today, the Blue Rock Springs birthday party in Vallejo in 2004 . This is the o...

Stockton, CA • March 2026. Hogan Spartans '85: Martin Nunez Roasts Dondi Reyes After 40 Years! martin nunez roast, dondi reyes birthday, hogan high class of 1985, stockton filipino, fil-am celebration. Stockton, CA • March 2026 Hogan Spartans '85: Martin Nunez Roasts Dondi Reyes After 40 Years! Nearly five minutes of laughs, memories, and truth — only a barkada  in their 'young & stupid' high school days can pull off a roast like this. We already covered the big picture of Michael "Dondi" Reyes' surprise birthday celebration in Stockton — the Hogan High Class of '85 showing up in force, the laughs, the nostalgia, the family. But there was one moment at the surprise party that deserves its own post: Martin Nunez taking the floor and delivering a roast that only a true barkada forged throughout Hogan Senior High School days could pull off. Martin spoke for nearly five minutes st...

Stockton, CA • March 7, 2026. Liane and friends perform a surprise hula dance in the kitchen during Michael Dondi Reyes' birthday celebration. Video captured by J.F.R. Perseveranda. Stockton, California • March 7, 2026 Surprise Kitchen Hula at Dondi's Birthday Bash Liane and friends caught in a spontaneous, joyful moment — pure Fil-Am party spirit in Stockton. I accidentally came upon them and got the video! While the music played outside for Michael Dondi Reyes' surprise birthday celebration on March 7, 2026, Liane and her friends were caught in a beautiful, impromptu hula dance in the kitchen. This candid Stockton moment perfectly captures the spirit of the Hogan Spartans family and the vibrant Filipina/Hawaiian culture that defines our community celebrations. ✨ POST HIGHLIGHTS Surprise hula performance by Liane & friends. Michael Dondi Reyes' 2026 Stockton birthday bash. Ca...

40th Reunion Milestone Hogan Sr. High Class of 1985: Dinner at Union Hotel October 18 • Benicia, California Forty years after graduating from Hogan Senior High School , members of the Class of 1985 gathered for a pre-reunion dinner at the historic Union Hotel. Before heading to the main event at Rellik Tavern, our core group of the Filipino-American community came together to reconnect. Front: Arnel Pacanza, Ben Carbonell, Glenn Victa, Gloria Arzaga-Vega, Nolan Highbaugh, Missy Cabrera, J.F. Perseveranda, Jim Abad, Julie Chong-Sinai, Martin Nunez. Back: Tony Magbitang, Rudy Jandoc, Tony Palisoc & Melana Paris. A Generation Coming of Age In the mid-1980s, Hogan Sr. High was more than a school; it was a cultural intersection. For many of us, it’s where our identities were shaped through community and shared resilience. Alternate angle: Union Hotel, Benicia. Sp...

October 22, 2025 at 01:33PM by pinoybuilt Reunion Dinner - Union Hotel Restaurant & Bar. Benicia, California. October 18, 2025. Thank you to all the peeps for your friendship through the years since Springstowne Jr. High School & Hogan Sr. High School. via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcOH46qhITw #filam #filipinoamerican #resist

At Pinoybuilt.com, our mission is to empower and unite the Filipino American community by celebrating our heritage, amplifying our voices, and building a platform where stories, culture, and pride come together. We are committed to honoring the strength of our roots while fostering connection, creativity, and progress for the next generation of Filipino changemakers. Through storytelling, collaboration, and shared experience, we proudly carry the legacy of being " Pinoy " -- resilient, resourceful and ready to rise. In the photo are alumni from Hogan High School in Vallejo, California. Photo taken in Martinez, CA. September 2, 2023. Please keep visiting to support our website & this Filipino community online. Click to follow this website . Like our Facebook Page Pinoy Built . Leave a comment below. Thank you. Salamat po.

Benicia, CA • November 26, 2024 Benicia High School Friends: Honoring Nicanor Putong at the Veterans Hall A gathering of friends and family to honor a life well-lived and a community legacy that endures. Benicia High School alumni and community friends gathered to honor Nicanor Putong. "The connections we build in our youth become the safety net of our community in our later years." On November 26, 2024, the Benicia Veterans Memorial Hall hosted a beautiful tribute to the life of Nicanor Putong . Friends from Benicia High School , neighbors, and long-time members of the St. Catherine of Siena parish came together to support the family and share memories. These reunions, while often occurring during somber times, highlight the strength of the Filipino community in the North Bay. At PinoyBuilt, we are dedicated to archiving these moments so the legacy of leaders like Uncle Nic...

February 23 Flashback in Suisun City Hogan High School reunion with Grace and Joe in town, and Rowena back in the country. Grace and Rowena were both in the same class as Joy and Vince. But I was close with both of them.

I don't remember if I learned this poem while a student in Marist in Marikina or in St. Sebastian in Chicago, IL. But I can't forget the first two lines. They popped into my head just now as I was browsing the internet. Happy Friday! Solitude By Ella Wheeler Wilcox Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone; For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth, But has trouble enough of its own. Sing, and the hills will answer; Sigh, it is lost on the air; The echoes bound to a joyful sound, But shrink from voicing care. Rejoice, and men will seek you; Grieve, and they turn and go; They want full measure of all your pleasure, But they do not need your woe. Be glad, and your friends are many; Be sad, and you lose them all,— There are none to decline your nectared wine, But alone you must drink life’s gall. Feast, and your halls are crowded; Fast, and the world goes by. Succeed and give, and it helps you live, But no man can help you die. There is room in the halls of ...

Jen tells a cool story from her days in a Catholic school in the Philippines Jen told me she attended St. Scholastica's College in Manila for elementary school and high school. I told Jen I also St. Scholastica but in Marikina. But only for kindergarten.  

Adele - All I Ask ft. Bruno Mars (Mashup) Clip I've been up since before 2 AM. Had to check my blood sugar since I had a half cup of buko pandan salad from Phil House when I picked up my baby girl from my sister's house. Sure enough, my BS was 237. Shot six units of regular insulin. I'd been good this evening after my walk with Akira. I had two bowls of organic baby spinach with balsamic vinaigrette, feta cheese and walnuts. But the puko pandan got me. I had bought it from Phil House for Tita Gigi's birthday dinner per Tita Lila's request. I'd been playing music videos on my Macbook after numerous plays of my downloaded video of Lisa's "Moonlit Floor." Among others, I watched ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - APT. (live from 2024 MAMA AWARDS) ,  LISA’s LLOUD Christmas Party , Ariana Grande Last Christmas/ Santa Tell Me , ROSÉ - Last Christmas (Wham! Cover) in the Radio 1 Live Lounge . I checked BBC Radio 1's YouTube channel's main page and watched t...

Veronica & her SMU classmates before pinning

Happy Birthday Tita Nene! November 28, 2024. We had family missing from the photo since they were hosting their own dinner for another branch of their family. But this is a good angle for a family shot since you can also see the food. Perseveranda-Putong Thanksgiving National Day of Mourning The National Day of Mourning is an annual demonstration, held on the fourth Thursday in November, that aims to educate the public about Native Americans in the United States, notably the Wampanoag and other tribes of the Eastern United States; dispel myths surrounding the Thanksgiving story in the United States; and raise awareness toward historical and ongoing struggles facing Native American tribes. The first National Day of Mourning demonstration was held in 1970 after Frank "Wamsutta" James's speaking invitation was rescinded from a Massachusetts Thanksgiving Day celebration commemorating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower. James instead delivered his spe...

Happy Birthday Tita Nene! November 28, 2024. Jakey is in the house! Perseveranda-Putong Thanksgiving We acknowledge today as the National Day of Mourning. “Participants in National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.” - UAINE pic.twitter.com/ai7abDK7ED — Alex ꩜ (@alexlacasse1222) November 27, 2024 On this National Day of Mourning, we reflect on the deep wounds of historical trauma carried by Indigenous communities and recognize that healing is a powerful form of resistance. #NationalDayOfMourning pic.twitter.com/GaoB49WjcP — Michigan Planned Parenthood Advocates (@mippadvocates) November 28, 2024

Happy Birthday Tita Nene! November 28, 2024. We had several special guests, but the farthest traveled of course was Tito Nelson. "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!" On the drive to Thanksgiving dinner, I asked Chesca what her favorite Thanksgiving food was. She replied, "The Filipino food!" 🇵🇭 Perseveranda-Putong Thanksgiving We acknowledge today as the National Day of Mourning. We acknowledge today as the National Day of Mourning. This day reminds us that systems of oppression are antithetical to who we are to each other. And it is in resistance we find fellowship, self-determination, and liberation. pic.twitter.com/KJ9BfLDQ3Y — Public Square Amplified (@publicsq_news) November 28, 2024 On this day, Indigenous people and allies confront the settler-colonial narratives of “Thanksgiving,” observing it instead as a National Day of Mourning. The whitewashed story of unity with the Wampanoag people—who have long lived in southeastern Massachusetts and easte...

Flashback to my first bday party with Tess September 11, 1999. Vallejo, CA. Tony M brought Milo to the party at Joy and Vince's house. Mini-Springstowne reunion. I think Tony P said he was Hawaii getting engaged. September 11 before it was 9/11. Good times with Sheryl Samonte, Scott Moyer, Michelle Endriga, Mandy & Ester Trillana, Missy Cabrera, Marie Neri, Milo Fortes, Marie Arzaga and Tony Magbitang. Special guest of course was Tess Garcia. MY FIL-AMS! 🇵🇭🇺🇸 Join us & help build a Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website  www.pinoybuilt.com. Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.  

Flashback: Friends 80's Reunion.  August 26, 2023. Napa, CA. Happy Birthday Tony! MY FIL-AMS! 🇵🇭🇺🇸 Join us & help build a Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website  www.pinoybuilt.com. Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.  Need a photographer? Go to  JFPERSEVERANDA.COM .  

Napa Valley Reunion 2023 August 26, 2023. Napa Valley, CA. Taken with my iPhone late at the event. I think we were all helping clean up by this point. It was really great to see everyone. Too bad it got cold quickly. Happy birthday again Phillip Orpilla! Join us & help build a Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website  www.pinoybuilt.com. Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.

Flashback: Friends 80's Reunion August 26, 2023. Napa Valley, CA. These four where one year ahead of me at Springstowne Jr. High School: Phillip Orpilla, Nerissa Carbonell-Kamiya, James Palisoc and James Pascual. Phillip and James Palisoc would go on to St. Patrick's for high school, while Nerissa and James Pascual finished at Hogan High School (like me). L TO R: PHILLIP, NERISSA, JAMES PALISOC & JAMES PASCUAL Join us & help build a Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website  www.pinoybuilt.com. Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.

Friends 80's Reunion flashback in Napa, CA.   August 26, 2023. Great event Belinda. Let's do it again. Renel Amante, Belinda Berdan & J.F. Perseveranda Belinda & J.F. Photo bombers: Tony Palisoc & Tony Magbitang Join us & help build a Fil-Am online community. Please leave a comment, and  click to follow our website  www.pinoybuilt.com. Join one of our sites in California: Los Angeles , Sacramento ,  San Diego , San Francisco ,  San Jose  or Vallejo . Click on a tag below to browse.