PinoyBuilt — Stories of Filipino America

Vallejo, CA • August 2026. Maligayang Bati, Mama Helen! HBD. mama helen birthday, elenita baluyut garcia, tess perseveranda family, valencia bukidnon, st basil vallejo, filipino grandmother tribute Mama Helen's Birthday • August 2026 Maligayang Bati, Mama Helen! HBD A birthday letter to my mother-in-law, Elenita "Mama Helen" Baluyut Garcia — and a 2007 photograph from Vallejo I still smile at every time I find it. Vallejo, CA, November 2007 — after Mass at St. Basil. Left to right: Mama Helen, Tess carrying Chesca, Bebot and Rowena. Standing in front, all smiles: Jian and Nica. Maligayang Bati po, Mama Helen! Happy birthday. Somewhere in Valencia, Bukidnon today, I'm guessing the table is full — most of your apo are there, and I know my three musketeers, Nica, Chesca, and Jian, wouldn't have missed it for anything. I wish I could've made the trip too. Since I couldn't, I wanted to give you this instead: a pa...

Happy Birthday, Mama Helen & Tess ❤️🎂 Today, August 16, is a day filled with both joy and bittersweet memories for our family. It’s the shared birthday of my beloved mother-in-law Mama Helen in the Philippines, and her youngest daughter, my late wife Tess . Fate has a funny way of working. Long before I even met Tess, I had already planned a week-long vacation for the week of August 16. Then, on May 16 of that same year, Tess came into my life. Lo and behold — it was a perfect match. That week, which I had set aside for rest and fun, would soon become one of the most meaningful times of my life, forever tied to celebrating two incredible women. This year, we remember them through a flashback photo from August 1999 in Chino Hills, California. It was taken right after we returned from a weekend in Las Vegas to celebrate their special day. The smiles in that photo say it all — love, laughter, and family togetherness that distance and time can never erase. August ...

On May 24, 2023, Tina Turner died at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, aged 83, following a long illness, including cancer, strokes, and kidney failure in her final years. Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was an American-born and naturalized Swiss singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and author. Widely referred to as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before launching a successful career as a solo performer. Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself—speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy. Today we join fans around the world in honoring the Queen of Rock and Roll, and a star whose light will never… pic.twitter.com/qXl2quZz1c — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 24, 2023 This is a sad day for music. The Queen of Rock’n’Roll has passed. Tina Turner, we honor you ! Your l...

Kobe Bryant Born: August 23, 1978, Philadelphia, PA. Died: January 26, 2020, Calabasas, CA

Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue lit up to look like a doctor on Easter Sunday to honor health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus battle. Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue lit up to look like a doctor on Easter Sunday to honor health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus battle. https://t.co/IsS7UPErUb pic.twitter.com/T3ssZo9mud — ABC News (@ABC) April 13, 2020 [post_ads]

Rest In Peace Kobe Bryant