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Happy Birthday Antonio Garcia!

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Maligayang Kaarawan po Papa Tony!

Marites, Jian, Nica and Mama Helen look on as Papa Tony dances at his birthday dinner celebration.

Location: Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines

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Why Vicente Manansala’s Madonna of the Slums Captivates Us All

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“Art should not be purely decorative. It should be meaningful.” — Vicente Manansala On Pinoybuilt.com, no artwork has captured more attention, curiosity, and admiration than Vicente Manansala’s iconic painting Madonna of the Slums . It stands as our all-time most viewed post — and for good reason. The Significance of the Artwork Painted in 1950, Madonna of the Slums is one of the most powerful social commentaries in Philippine modern art. It portrays a mother and child amidst the squalor of Manila’s urban slums, echoing the religious imagery of the Madonna and Child but set starkly against poverty and urban migration. Through his signature transparent cubism , Manansala overlays geometric shapes and muted hues to express both the harshness of the slums and the enduring dignity of the human spirit. The painting is a poignant reminder that beneath economic hardship, there remains profound love, resilience, and hope. The Genius of Vicente Manansala Vicente Manansala (1910–19...
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Trip to Batangas: Monte Maria

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KUMUSTA KABAYAN 🇵🇭 Monte Maria is located in Batangas City. The beautiful statue of Monte Maria is up to the 17th floor, but you need to pay 150 per head first. After that, you will see the miracle glass walk, which will open in December because it is not finished yet.  Mother of All Asia – Tower of Peace The Mother of All Asia–Tower of Peace is a monument shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary as a symbol of unity and peace in Asia and the whole world. It is located at the center of the eight-hectare pilgrimage site called Montemaria International Pilgrimage & Conference Center in Sitio Montemaria, Barangay Pagkilatan, Batangas City, Philippines. It is the world's tallest statue of the Virgin Mary at 98.15 m (322.0 ft) which includes the plinth/building it stands on.
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Bathala : The Creator God | Philippine Mythology

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Asian Mythology | Mythlok In ancient #Tagalog, the Supreme Being known as Bathala Maykapal, commonly known as Bathala, is regarded as the creator and ruler of the universe. This term was also used for lesser beings such as personal spirits, omen birds, comets, and other heavenly bodies. It was after the Spanish missionaries came to the #Philippines that Bathala Maykapal became known as a Christian God. Before the 19th century, the term was never used since it was replaced by the words Panginoon and Diyos. Bathala is the #creator of everything in the universe. He is said to have appeared during various natural phenomenon such as a flood, a fire, and an earthquake, and he declared his authority over the world. The origin or where Bathala came from is not known or documented. The worship of Bathala, although common across the various islands and tribes of the #Philippines, is most prominent in the Luzon area and its indigenous tribes. Bathala is considered to be very humanlike...
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Davao City: Sara & Rodrigo Duterte

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Flashback to Davao City when Sara Duterte was Mayor, & Rody Duterte was Vice Mayor Davao City, Mindanao. I took this photo as we drove through Davao City back on July 5, 2013.   Davao City, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, is a coastal commercial center near 2,954m-high Mount Apo, the country’s highest peak. In the city center, People’s Park is known for its colorful indigenous sculptures and lighted fountains. It's also home to Durian Dome, named after the pungent, spiky fruit that grows in abundance on Mindanao. The Davao River cuts through the city. Please support our website and leave a comment below. Salamat po.
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🛡️ RESIST: Lapu-Lapu, Magellan, and the Birth of Filipino Identity in 1521

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🛡️ Before the Philippines had a name, we had resistance. In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed under the Spanish flag and claimed the islands for Spain. But what he found was a proud people — especially a warrior named Lapu-Lapu — who refused to bow. On April 27, 1521 , at the Battle of Mactan, Lapu-Lapu and his warriors stood their ground. Armed with kampilan swords and native courage, they resisted Spanish forces and killed Magellan on Filipino soil. This was more than a victory — it was the birth of Filipino identity . “To resist is to exist. We were not discovered — we were awakened.” Lapu-Lapu didn’t just win a battle — he became the first Filipino to fight for sovereignty. That resistance lives on through the Katipunan, World War II freedom fighters, EDSA revolutionaries, and everyday Filipinos who rise for justice. 1521 wasn’t about discovery. It was about defiance . That moment gave us our spirit — one of unity, identity, an...
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🌏 Out of Taiwan? Rethinking the Four Waves of Migration to the Philippines

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🌏 Most Filipinos grew up learning about the Four Waves of Migration Theory, a simplified model popularized by H. Otley Beyer. It framed Filipino ancestry through waves: Negritos, Indonesians, Malays, and later foreign traders. But in 2025, this model is being questioned — and replaced by a richer, more accurate story rooted in DNA, archaeology, and language. The more accepted theory today? The Out-of-Taiwan Hypothesis , which suggests that most Filipino ancestors came from Taiwan about 4,000–5,000 years ago — part of a larger Austronesian expansion that reached as far as Hawaii, Madagascar, and New Zealand. “Rather than fixed waves, Filipino identity was shaped by overlapping migrations and cultural exchange across centuries.” Genetic research shows that modern Filipinos have a unique blend of Austronesian, Negrito, East Asian, and South Asian ancestry. Negrito groups like the Aeta are not just a "first wave" but deeply rooted indigenous peoples. M...
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Sunset: November in Tagaytay

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Beautiful clouds, beautiful sky Just beautiful. November 1999. We stayed at Mary Ann's friend's house in Tagaytay.  KUMUSTA KABAYAN || PLANET PINOY 🇵🇭 Click on any photo above to enlarge. Use left/right arrows to navigate. Please drop us a comment below. 🙏🏽 Help us grow Pinoybuilt to be the number one online community in the  Philippines . Please click to  follow PH.pinoybuilt.com . 🤙🏽 Thank you! 👊🏽 Maraming salamat po kabayan.  ✌🏽 Pinoybuilt uses  Disqus  as the commenting system because it prevents spam, but also because it connects our various sub-sites like www.pinoybuilt.com, LA.pinoybuilt.com, HI.pinoybuilt.com, AU.pinoybuilt.com & PH.pinoybuilt.com. Comments help a website go viral (and make $$$) so we hope to hear from you. 🙏🏽 Know anyone who'd be interested in blogging for Pinoybuilt (whether they're in the Philippines, USA, Canada, UAE, etc). Please share this site with them. Btw, blogging is what you do on Facebook, Twi...
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