PinoyBuilt — Stories of Filipino America

Family, Memory, and a Moment from November 22, 2001 November 22, 2001.  Vallejo, California. Twenty-four years ago today, a simple family photo captured something deeply Filipino — brothers gathering in the home of their eldest sibling, as tradition has always dictated. In the photo are three brothers: Manny , Eduard , and Ronnie (of eight siblings). The gathering took place at the home of their Kuya   Boy  (Ronnie , my dad). For Filipino families, the home of the panganay is more than just a location — it’s a symbol of continuity, respect, and the unspoken responsibility carried by the eldest sibling. What makes this image particularly emotional today is that my dad’s two younger brothers, Manny and Eduard, have since passed away. Looking back at this moment — their smiles, their closeness, their youthful energy — adds a bittersweet weight to the memory. It’s a reminder of how quickly time moves, and how precious these ordinary family gatherings truly are. Fili...

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 ...

Flashback: Happy Birthday Auntie Dory & Joy Family is forever.  Today’s flashback takes us to (I'm guessing) the first Saturday after Auntie Dory & Joy's shared July 31 birthday - August 3, 1996, 190 Toni Ct. Vallejo, CA.  It's the first house my parents bought in the USA.  I use  timeanddate.com  by the way to look up dates & days. Reyes sisters reunion: Dory, Nati, Rachel, Manye & Joy If memory serves, Auntie Dory & family always drove up from San Jose for an annual shared celebration with my sister so that my mom and her sisters could spend time. This flashback is a reminder that no matter how much time passes, the moments we share with loved ones are priceless. Whether it’s a holiday, a family vacation, or just an ordinary day that became extraordinary — they all deserve to be remembered. 💬 Your Turn! Do you have a favorite family flashback? Share it with us in the c...

Flashback: August 7, 2004 Family is forever. Every now and then, it’s nice to open the old photo albums (or scroll through our hard drives -- and back them up before you drop them!) and relive moments that shaped who we are. Today’s flashback takes us to Outside Lands 2004  — when that meant Mama & Papa's front lawn (with the new added bonus of a water slide I bought). Jian and Keo attended Outside Lands Day 1 in Golden Gate Park yesterday, so I'm just playing off that. They've got two more days with their Benicia buddies. Enjoy. Jian, Nica, Keo & Kuya R Tita Gigi was in town to help care for Baby Chesca. This flashback is a reminder that no matter how much time passes, the moments we share with loved ones are priceless. Whether it’s a holiday, a family vacation, or just an ordinary day that became extraordinary — they all deserve to be remembered. 💬 Your Turn! Do you have a favorite family fla...

Happy Anniversary, Tita Nene & Tito Jun July 6, 2025 · J.F.R. Perseveranda On this day 35 years ago—July 6, 1990—my Tita Grace Perseveranda married Castor "Jun" Silvestre in a beautiful and joy-filled ceremony in Pasadena, California . It was a celebration of love, family, and tradition—a timeless union that still warms our hearts decades later. That summer was unforgettable for me too: I had just moved back to California from Chicago the month before. I was proud to be there to support Tita Grace on her big day—and I wasn’t alone. My BFF at the time (girlfriend), Liza Franco , flew in all the way from Chicago to join the festivities. Tito Jun—may he rest in peace—was all smiles in his white tux, and Tita Nene looked radiant in her wedding gown and Hawaiian lei. Their love was evident, their joy contagious. Looking at this photo now, I’m reminded of the bonds that tie our Filipino families together across time and geography. Grace Perseveranda...

The Christian tradition of Epiphany is the day the Three Kings are believed to have visited baby Jesus. While the norm is to attend parades to see the Three Kings, who throw sweets to the crowds, this year, to avoid crowds, they have got more creative and arrived by boat, air balloon, and open-topped cars to travel around the streets of Spanish cities and towns so they could be seen by children from the pavement or from their windows without danger. Please click to follow our website/blog PINOYBUILT.com

Watch the @MemorialDayPBS Concert, an American tradition honoring the military service of our troops, veterans, wounded warriors, all those who have given their lives for our nation, and their families. Watch the @MemorialDayPBS Concert, an American tradition honoring the military service of our troops, veterans, wounded warriors, all those who have given their lives for our nation, and their families. Stream now on our YouTube page! #MemDayPBS https://t.co/mYkuPZQuCq — PBS (@PBS) May 30, 2022

Erin go bragh St. Patrick's Day always reminds of me of Chicago . I can think of only one city in the world that dyes its river green -- Chicago ! It's close to my heart since that's the first place we lived in in the USA, from 1976-1979. After my family moved to California, I moved back in 1989.  Lots of fond memories. I'll have to find a photo from back-in-the-day partying on Rush St . Chicago River dyeing 2021: Green makes appearance for toned down St. Patrick's Day celebrations Chicago River Dyed Green - St Patrick's Day 2018 Drone Time Lapse From Wikipedia The city has many different Saint Patrick's Day celebrations, the most famous being the dyeing of the  Chicago River . Each year, the city hosts a parade downtown, which is preceded by the dyeing of the Chicago River. The dyeing of the river involves thousands of people lining the banks of the river and watching as a boat releases dye into the river and turns the river a kelly green color. ...

Thousands of revelers lined the streets Saturday, March 17, 2019 to watch the Chicago River be dyed green for St. Patrick's Day.

Bayanihan (pronounced [ˌbajɐˈniːhan]) is a Filipino term taken from the word bayan, referring to a nation, country, town or community. The whole term bayanihan refers to a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective.