PinoyBuilt — Stories of Filipino America

On July 30, 2025, an extraordinarily powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, near the Kuril Islands, triggering tsunami warnings and alerts spanning thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean. This seismic event, one of the strongest recorded in recent decades, sent waves rushing toward Asia, the Philippines, Hawaii, and the U.S. West Coast, creating waves of concern and precautionary evacuations. By J.F.R. Perseveranda July 30, 2025 Pinoybuilt.com This blog post dives deep into the impacts of this quake, its tsunami aftermath, and what it means for vulnerable coastal communities—including the Filipino diaspora who live or travel in affected regions. We’ll also share vital safety advice and the latest updates. The Earthquake: What Happened? The 8.8 Mw earthquake occurred just before 7:00 PM local time near the eastern tip of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands chain, an area well-known for intense seismic activity...

Philippines • June 2026. Maharlika, Pacific Islander, or Asian? The Decolonization of Filipino Identity. maharlika meaning, filipino pacific islander, filipino identity, ferdinand marcos maharlika, mount pinatubo anniversary, austronesian filipino, decolonization philippines. IDENTITY • PHILIPPINES • JUNE 2026 Maharlika, Pacific Islander, or Asian? The Decolonization of Filipino Identity Thirty-five years ago today, Mount Pinatubo reshaped the islands. Today, two debates — Asian or Pacific Islander, Philippines or Maharlika — are reshaping the global Filipino identity. The truth is harder, and more beautiful, than either side admits. Thirty-five years ago today, on June 15, 1991, Mount Pinatubo released the second-largest volcanic eruption of the twentieth century. The blast injected so much sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere that it cooled the global climate by roughly half a degree Celsius for two years. It...

Vallejo, CA • November 2022. Rear Admiral Leonard "Butch" Dollaga — Vallejo native, Hogan High School Class of 1986, U.S. Naval Academy graduate, two-star admiral, submariner. One of the highest-ranking Filipino Americans in U.S. Navy history. Veterans Day speech in Vallejo, California. PinoyBuilt coverage. The Vallejo Kid Who Commanded Submarines: Rear Admiral Butch Dollaga Comes Home Hogan Class of '86. U.S. Naval Academy '90. Two-star admiral. Thirty-four years in the silent service. And on Veterans Day, he came back to the city that made him — two houses from where the PinoyBuilt editor grew up. By J.F.R. Perseveranda · PinoyBuilt · November 11, 2022 · Updated March 2026 [INSERT HERO IMAGE: RADM Dollaga at Vallejo Veterans Day ceremony · 1200×675 · compressed] ★★ Two-Star Rear Admiral 34 Years of Navy Service 1986 Hogan High School, Vallejo 1990 ...

Los Angeles, California • June 2026. Antonio Miranda Rodriguez: The Filipino Who Helped Found Los Angeles. antonio miranda rodriguez, los angeles founder, filipino california history, 1781 pueblo, fil-am history, manila galleon, filipinos in america. Filipino American History • June 2026 The Filipino Who Helped Found Los Angeles — And Was Erased From the Plaque Antonio Miranda Rodriguez was recruited as one of the original 12 settler families of El Pueblo de Los Angeles in 1781. A father's loyalty to a dying daughter cost him his place in history. The erased name. The recovered truth. El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, where Antonio Miranda Rodriguez — a Manila-born Filipino gunsmith — served as master armorer and was buried in 1784. A memorial tile in the Presidio Chapel was installed by the local Filipino American community in his honor. In the summer of 1781, a Filipino man was making his way north toward a river in...