FIL AM · FILIPINO

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...

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...

April 2, 2026 at 01:17PM by pinoybuilt ​The April 1, 2005 Archive: Valencia, Bukidnon ​On March 25, 2005, the distance finally ended. After being separated since December 2004, I reunited with Tess and our girls in the cooler, quieter highlands of Bukidnon. ​This is a 30-second raw window into that afternoon, captured on an Olympus C3000z in the Barangay of Poblacion. You can hear the unedited "hiss" of 2005 technology, but more importantly, you hear my late wife, Tess. In the last third of the video, her laughter cuts through the decades—a reminder of the joy that anchored our diaspora journey. (I'll have to find video of her speaking fluent Bisaya). ​At PinoyBuilt.com, we analyze the news of today through the lens of where we’ve been. Sometimes, the most important "data" isn't a statistic, but a voice from 21 years ago. ​#PinoyBuilt #Bukidnon #Bisaya #FilAm #Diaspora #Legacy #2005Archive via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQZR7qkJx20

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...

Learn Filipino • April 2026. Learn Tagalog: Exploring the Soul of Destiny with "Tadhana" by Up Dharma Down. tadhana, tagalog, opm, up dharma down, armi millare, destiny, filipino values, learn tagalog, grammar, linkers, markers, fil-am. Learn Filipino • April 2026 Learn Tagalog: Exploring the Soul of Destiny with "Tadhana" by Up Dharma Down From indie breakout to pambansang anthem: how one OPM song became the gateway for Filipino Americans rediscovering their roots—and what the word tadhana reveals about our deepest values. Now with three grammar lessons for Fil-Am kids and adults who never had formal Pilipino classes. Tadhana — the Filipino concept of destiny — captured in one of OPM's most enduring songs. I was driving on I-80 through Vallejo with my bunso when I first really heard it—not as background noise, but as a full reckoning. She was playing DJ from her iPhone, tapping through Spotify, which I love for h...

Happy Birthday Nati! December 18. Early 90s. Vallejo, California. Birthday flowers for Mom. Thank you for everything! 💛 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 #kaibigan

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