PinoyBuilt — Stories of Filipino America

Welcome to Our Fil-Am Community—Thank You for Connecting!  Hi there! I want to take a moment to personally welcome you to my Pinoy Built Facebook circle and, more broadly, to the growing online community of Filipino Americans who celebrate, share, and build Filipino identity, culture, and pride together. First and foremost, thank you for connecting! Every friend I add is more than just a Facebook connection—they are a part of a living, breathing, vibrant community. Whether you grew up here in the U.S., migrated recently from the Philippines, or are somewhere in between like me, your presence matters. As part of this welcome, I’d love to introduce you to the Pinoy Built Facebook Page and Pinoybuilt.com . If you like and follow the Facebook Page, you’ll get notifications of new stories, community posts, and features on the website, so you never miss the latest content celebrating our heritage. What is Pinoybuilt.com? Pinoy Built is more than a blog or a website—it’s ...

Advance HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mama Helen! By J.F.R. Perseveranda This #OnThisDay flashback takes us to August 12, 2002 , when my eldest daughter Veronica — a proud second-generation Filipina-American born and raised in Vallejo, CA — just got home from cousin Ethan's birthday party in Fairfield, CA. Mama Helen was staying with us in Toni Ct. and would be celebrating her birthday in a few days. Advance HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mama Helen! Looking back, this photo is more than just an image — it’s a chapter in our family’s history. It’s a reminder that our stories are worth preserving, sharing, and celebrating, especially as Filipino-Americans raising the next generation. Do you have a family flashback photo to share? Join the Pinoybuilt.com community and keep our heritage alive online. For more reading: Asian Americans in the United States - Pew Research Center Vallejo Sister City Association ...

🌈 Kumusta, mga kaibigan! 🇵🇭 This is a heartfelt invitation especially for our LGBTQ+ community — and even more especially for those of you already authorized as authors here on this site. 📝 We want to hear your story. Share with us your journey — your struggles, your triumphs, your celebrations. Whether it's a moment of coming out, a story of family, finding love, fighting for acceptance, or simply living life out loud... your voice matters . But it doesn’t have to be all serious — we’d love to see your world too: 📸 travel memories, 🥘 favorite Filipino dishes, 🎉 joyful moments, 🏳️‍🌈 Pride events, or just you being you. Tell us what it means to be both proudly LGBTQ+ and proudly Filipino. Let’s celebrate both Pride and Pinoy Pride . 🌍 Why It Matters Representation changes lives. Someone out there might see themselves in your story — and find courage, joy, or even a sense of home in your words or photos. ✍️ How to Contribute If you’re already an approve...

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...

Friends, Let’s Build Together on Pinoybuilt.com — Not Just Share on Facebook or Instagram Hi friends! 👋 I love that you’ve been tagging me, sharing reels, sending memes, and dropping updates on Facebook and Instagram. It’s always fun to stay connected. But I have a quick invite for you — something even more meaningful than just sharing and scrolling. 👉 Let’s start creating together on Pinoybuilt.com — a platform made by Filipinos, for Filipinos . Why Make the Shift? FB and IG are great for quick dopamine hits. But what happens after we post a story? It disappears. After we comment? It gets buried. On Pinoybuilt.com , your content lives on — whether it’s: Your insights as an OFW in Dubai, LA, or Hong Kong 🇦🇪 🇺🇸 🇭🇰 Your food blog or restaurant review 🍲 Your travel tips for UAE or stories from home ✈️ Job openings, small business promos, community updates, or even throwback kwento! 💼📸 What Can You Post? Blog-style posts 📝 Short updates or kwento 📢 Photos and tips ...

Flashback: Dennis Ocampo's 50th Birthday Party - June 27 Ten Years Ago Left to right: Amalio Recio Ocampo, Dennis Ocampo, Vincent Putong, Angeline Putong, Joy Perseveranda Putong, Ethan De Leon (behind Joy), Raul Millena, Joel Zaragoza, Elmer Domingo, J.F. Perseveranda, Tess Garcia Perseveranda, and Russel Ocampo. Wishing you all well. How to Post to Pinoybuilt.com by Email — Add a Filipino Layer to Your Social Media Did you know you can easily create a post on Pinoybuilt.com using just your email? If you're already sharing photos and stories on Facebook, you’re just one step away from cross-posting to a wider Filipino audience — without logging in to Blogger or touching any dashboard. Here’s how to do it: ✉️ Step 1: Get Your Secret Email Address Each Blogspot blog (like Pinoybuilt.com) has a unique "Post by Email" address. If you’re part of the team or admin, make sure to: Go to Blogger Dashboard > Settings > Email . Under Posting using email ...

Tito Ed tells the story of his encounter with a bear while camping with family in Yosemite. Who was there camping?

Mabuhay and welcome to Pinoybuilt.com ! 🇵🇭 I was born in Makati City and grew up in Marikina , a city known for its world-class shoes and strong sense of community. As a kid, I attended Marist School , while my sister went to St. Scholastica's Academy . On weekends, we often visited Malate, Manila to spend time with my mom’s side of the family—those memories of old Manila, bay walks, and bustling streets still live in my heart. When I was 9 years old , my family and I immigrated to the United States. We landed in Chicago, Illinois , where I went to Catholic school and experienced snow for the first time. Then just before I turned 13 , we moved to Vallejo, California . That’s when I transitioned to the public school system and started 7th grade, learning how to navigate life between two cultures. Later, I attended the University of California at Davis , where I continued to explore what it means to be both Filipino and American. At UC Davis, I was a member of  Mga Kapatid...