FIL AM · FILIPINO

“While a people preserves its language; it preserves the marks of liberty.”  José Rizal By Pinoybuilt Filipinos today speak English with ease. Taglish dominates daily life. Our media is Americanized—our humor, our slang, even our dreams. But national hero José Rizal gave us a warning that still echoes in 2025: the death of a language is the death of identity—and, soon after, liberty. 🇵🇭 Language = Identity = Freedom In works like Noli Me Tangere , El Filibusterismo , and his letters to the Women of Malolos, Rizal made this clear: a people who forget their language are easy to colonize again—mentally, culturally, economically. “Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit pa sa hayop at malansang isda.” (“He who does not love his native language is worse than a beast and a stinking fish.”) This well-known line, traditionally attributed to Rizal’s youth, reminds us that language isn’t just a tool. It is a weapon of resistance. A map of memory. A...

For this week’s Wednesday Wisdom, we turn to a timeless quote from Rumi that speaks volumes about the journey many Filipino-Americans find themselves on. “Maybe you are searching among the branches for what only appears in the roots.” — Rumi In a world where culture is curated through TikTok trends, fusion food, and hyphenated identities, being Filipino-American can sometimes feel like standing on a tree limb—stretching out to connect with something, anything, that helps us make sense of who we are. But Rumi, the 13th-century poet and mystic, gently reminds us:  maybe what you’re looking for isn’t out there on the branches at all.  Maybe it’s waiting at the roots. For many Fil-Ams, our relationship with Filipino culture is filtered through distance—both literal and emotional. We grow up speaking English, celebrating Thanksgiving more fully than Buwan ng Wika , and recognizing family more as an abstract value than a daily, lived-in practice. We may know adobo , bu...

The will to act. June 11, 2025. I woke up a little past midnight again. Fed Akira three cupfuls of dog food. She's always full of energy. I used to be like that. Played "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" by The S.O.S. Band again on Amazon Music, then started browsing MAX. Although I have the trilogy on Blu-Ray, I resumed "Batman Begins" where I left off when Bruce Wayne gets into a fight, gets solitary, and he's recruited by Ducard. I love this part. Ra's al Ghul training Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins pic.twitter.com/vss4CCQXPy — Christopher Nolan Art & Updates (@NolanAnalyst) June 10, 2025 "I know the rage that drives you. That impossible anger strangling the grief until the memory of your loved one is just poison in your veins. And one day, you catch yourself wishing the person you loved had never existed, so you would be spared your pain." - Henri Ducard, Batman Begins "I know the rage that drives you. That impossible anger st...

Bruce Lee once remarked, “Hoping life will treat you kindly just because you’re a good person is like expecting a tiger not to attack you because you’re a vegetarian.” Life doesn’t adhere to notions of fairness—it simply unfolds. Instead of waiting for justice , you must take action , adapt , and confront challenges with resilience and determination. #motivationquotes #motivational #motivationalspeaker

Monday Motivation: "The purpose of life is to give it away." -- Pablo Picasso "You have two choices: use your energy to worry; or you can use your energy to believe, enjoy, create, manifest, heal, grow and glow." -- The Universe Xfinity outage this Monday morning in my neighborhood. I'll have to post using my phone. 

Don’t write to be liked. Don’t write to be right. Don’t write to be understood. Write to become emotionally literate, accepting of yourself, and free. Write to move a culture. Write a philosophical change. Write to revolutionize your pain. – Tanya Markul Reposted from my Facebook Memories. January 16, 2024.   Soul Over Matter Podcast: The Healing Power of Writing with Tanya Markul In this episode, I chat with writer and author, Tanya Markul, about the transformative and healing nature of writing. Michelle the Mystic

"What we yearn for is simply human connection—a quiet presence, a gentle touch. These small gestures are the anchors that hold us steady when life feels like too much." Please don’t try to fix me. Don’t take on my pain or push away my shadows. Just sit beside me as I work through my own inner storms. Be the steady hand I can reach for as I find my way. My pain is mine to carry, my battles mine to face. But your presence reminds me I’m not alone in this vast, sometimes frightening world. It’s a quiet reminder that I am worthy of love, even when I feel broken. So, in those dark hours when I lose my way, will you just be here? Not as a rescuer, but as a companion. Hold my hand until the dawn arrives, helping me remember my strength. Your silent support is the most precious gift you can give. It’s a love that helps me remember who I am, even when I forget. January 14, 2024. Walking around the 3rd floor. The photo above is from my  Kaiser Walnut Creek Vacation  a year ago whe...

"But you're in control of how you walk down that path. I may be walking a bit slower now but I still want to dance my way forward." Mary Ann Punla #CaringBridge journal entry days after being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in 2013. #wednesdaywisdom  Photo: August 1991, when I took her to Oakland Airport to see her off on her Europe vacation. Reposted from Facebook post. January 10, 2018. Thank you to her sister Bernadette for referring me to her Caring Bridge journal. Special Request In lieu of, or in addition to a Facebook comment, please comment below if you have a Google account. Thank you! Maraming salamat po! 

Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. -Ryunosuke Satoro

You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you.  The Power is sitting back and observing everything with logic. If words control you that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass. 🙏🏽

If you have dreams to achieve, you are still young. I celebrated my "speed limit" birthday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo taken at Al Jaddaf after my bithday dinner cruise. September 12, 2021. Jaddaf Waterfront. Dubai, UAE. 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.

One smile can begin a friendship; One hand can lift a soul; One word can frame the goal; One candle can wipe out darkness; One laugh can conquer gloom; One touch can show you care; One life can make the difference; Be that one today. Author Unknown 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.

Chesca practices riding on her kuya's old bicycle. June 14, 2013. Hiddenbrooke, Vallejo, CA. At our old house on Overlook which was sold last year, 2022.  Chesca has told me a few times that when she's grown-up and rich, she'll buy back her first home. Ten yearss ago today. Time sure does fly. But time flies faster as you get older... #qotd #wednesdaywisdom FIL-AM. FILIPINO/FILIPINA-AMERICAN.  Please drop us a comment below. 🤙🏽 Help us grow Pinoybuilt to be the number one  Filipino-American  online community in California, if not the USA. 🇺🇸  Please click  this to follow www.pinoybuilt.com . Thank you! 👊🏽 Maraming salamat po kabayan. 🇵🇭 ✌🏽  fil-am,filipino-american,filipina-american,california,pilipino,

This was painted on the wall just to the right of the door as you go out of the restaurant and into the outdoor patio in Senor Sisig, Mission District SF. Anthony Bourdain heads to the Philippines and samples "possibly the best thing you could ever eat with a cold beer." FIL-AM. FILIPINO/FILIPINA-AMERICAN.  Please drop us a comment below. 🤙🏽 Help us grow Pinoybuilt to be the number one  Filipino-American  online community in California, if not the USA. 🇺🇸  Please click  this to follow www.pinoybuilt.com . Thank you! 👊🏽 Maraming salamat po kabayan. 🇵🇭 ✌🏽  fil-am,filipino-american,filipina-american,california,pilipino,

Watching 'Our Barbara' on ABC I loved the Christopher Reeves quote.  OUR BARBARA: @ABC News shares personal tributes celebrating the trailblazing life and career of newswoman #BarbaraWalters after her death at age 93. The 20/20 special edition starts now on @ABCNetwork . You can stream the full special tomorrow on @hulu . https://t.co/c59aHMu8vk pic.twitter.com/72HBqwC7ob — 20/20 (@ABC2020) January 2, 2023 If it was in the news and it was a big interview that everyone wanted to see, Barbara Walters had that interview. Tonight, @ABC remembers the life and legacy of #BarbaraWalters . ‘Our Barbara – A Special Edition of 20/20’ starts at 8/7c on ABC. https://t.co/S2WktgWbL8 pic.twitter.com/k8RRtPKsQh — 20/20 (@ABC2020) January 1, 2023 Christopher Reeves said, I see life as a game of cards. If you think the game is worthwhile, you play the hand you've been dealt. #inspired — Louise Ashby (@Louashspeaker) May 27, 2014

My Fil-Ams: Teach your kids tagalog. Who Was Dr Jose Rizal, the National Hero of the Phillipines? Learn Filipino Holidays - Rizal Day José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda [7]  ( Spanish:  [xoˈse riˈsal] ,  Tagalog:  [hoˈse riˈsal] ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a  Filipino nationalist , writer and  polymath  active at the end of the  Spanish colonial period  of the Philippines. He is considered the national hero ( pambansang bayani ) of the Philippines. [8] [9]  An  ophthalmologist  by profession, Rizal became a writer and a key member of the Filipino  Propaganda Movement , which advocated  political reforms  for the colony under  Spain . Moments before his execution on December 30, 1896, by a squad of Filipino soldiers of the Spanish Army, a backup force of regular Spanish Army troops stood ready to shoot the executioners should they fail to obey orders. [58]  The Spanish Army ...

Life will lead you on unplanned journeys. Enjoy the ride and trust that your final destination will be a great one. From the Motivation app: https://motivation.app/download

Popped in the Blu Ray and watched "An Affair To Remember again last night." I wanted to watch with the kids... but they were too busy. Yes, I dig chick flicks. I watched all the extra features on the Blu Ray dvd. Then I turned on the commentary to see who the commentators would be.  Marni Nixon was one. I learned she was the one who sang and Deborah Kerr lip-synched. It was also Marni Nixon who sang all the songs on "The King and I!" I was always amazed that Deborah could and SING. No wonder. Marni Nixon: Singing voice of the stars One of the great unsung stars of Hollywood was Marni Nixon, a voice double whose singing stood in for such actresses as Deborah Kerr in "The King and I," Natalie Wood in "West Side Story," and Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady." Nixon, who passed away this week at age 86, was interviewed by Charles Osgood for a story originally aired on "Sunday Morning" Marni Nixon was also the singing voice ...

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” - Lao Tzu — Daily Dose of Philosophy (@PhilosophyDose_) March 13, 2022 "One who excels as a warrior does not appear formidable; One who excels in fighting is never roused in anger; One who excels in defeating his enemy does not join issue; One who excels in employing others humbles himself before them." (Lao Tzu) pic.twitter.com/XJ2ehW4gnL — Seymour Clearly (@SeymourClearly5) March 10, 2022

"Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” Kurt Vonnegut "Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” Kurt Vonnegut Photograph: Edie Vonnegut/AP pic.twitter.com/2wfrgmGNjR — Pearl Annie (@with_love_pearl) April 15, 2025 Join the #FilipinoAmerican conversation. Comment below. #PinoyPride #Filipino Click to follow this website . Like our Facebook Page Pinoy Built . Thank you. Salamat po. blog,community,fil-am, filipino american,