I have always been fond of the saying:

 

“If you want to make God laugh, show Him your plans.”

 

I would like to believe that I made God laugh, because my plan looked nothing like the life I live today. And I’ll be completely honest — I haven’t had a plan since 2018, so I’m not sure I can say I truly had one to begin with. Regardless, I believe that the path I walk today has been laid out by God, every step of the way. I genuinely feel like I am just a character in a story that He is writing.

 

Where does El Pinoy Papi come from?

El Pinoy Papi directly translates to “The Filipino Daddy” — a tribute to my cultural heritage and a sign of respect for the culture I married into.

I am American-born with Filipino roots. Do I know Tagalog? Sadly, no. I grew up in a family where my great-grandmother and those after her spoke perfect English, so I never needed to learn Tagalog to communicate with family. Do I wish I had learned? Absolutely — and I am actively working on it. Even without deeply rooted Filipino traditions in my upbringing, I am proud of who I am and where I come from. So if you take issue with me claiming Pinoy, that’s okay — I’ll claim it anyway.

 

Now, the word Papi means daddy in Spanish. My better half — my wife — is Mexican, and although I wish she called me Papi, she doesn’t. Papi is what our two daughters call me, and I absolutely love it. Growing up, and even to this day, I call my father “Daddy.” I will never switch to just “Dad,” because that is the culture my parents created for my siblings and me. Being called daddy in the primary language spoken in our household is a blessing I hold dear to my heart.

 

So why is 2018 so important?

 

In the spring of 2018, I was a fifth-year student — a proud super senior — at SF State, about to graduate with a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology. What have I done with that degree? Absolutely nothing. But I have it. I firmly believe that I went to college for one defining reason: to meet the love of my life in the fall of 2015. We were both third-years starting our core classes when, by chance, we met in an introductory biology lab. We only shared two classes together, but we’ve had a relationship ever since. Three years later, I was at work when I got a call from her telling me she was pregnant. Did I make God laugh? Probably. But His plan was so much greater than mine, and I have been blessed in ways I will never fully understand.

 

In November 2018, we welcomed our first daughter, and my life hasn’t followed a plan since — because we had to figure it out. I had just turned 24, my now-wife was 23, and we had to figure out how to raise this blessing while our friends were still going out to clubs and bars. God gave me a reason to stop living for myself and to start living for the ones I love. To provide for them. To protect them. And most importantly, to show them that God’s plan far outweighs any plan we could ever make for ourselves.

 

I am currently at a stage in life where many of my friends are just beginning their family journeys — something I started back in 2018. I often feel like the old guy sharing milestones that happened years ago for me and are just beginning for them. Our hangouts have shifted from clubs and bars to three-mile walks followed by good dinners, and our conversations have followed suit — becoming more meaningful and more motivating. Growing older has been humbling, even a little scary at times. There have been many moments where I’ve moved on autopilot, forgetting to truly enjoy life. But growing older has also shown me that I now have experiences worth speaking on. My life is different from some and similar to others, and either way, there are conversations to be had — whether to challenge people to think differently or to affirm that what they’ve been through is valid.

 

Today, entering my 30s, I look back on the years my friends had to themselves and see that I was spending that time building the life God placed before me. I am deeply grateful for where I am and for the family I have. I’ve had a great deal of help along the way, and I know it is now my turn to give back to those who need it.

 

So why is El Pinoy Papi built around Faith, Fatherhood, and Fitness?

 

If the faith portion hasn’t already explained itself, just keep following this journey. I pray that one day you’ll come to understand that God’s grace is so abundant — you just have to learn to see your story clearly and recognize the many ways your blessings reveal themselves.

 

Fatherhood should also speak for itself, but as the Papi of two beautiful girls, I have plenty of advice to offer those just starting their parenting journey — and plenty left to learn myself. I don’t need to learn only from my own experiences; I am more than happy to learn from yours, because everyone’s story is different. As stated in the mission on the home page, I want to build communities for everyone with a story to share, because whether you know it or not, your story matters just as much as mine — and the world can learn from it. And this isn’t limited to fathers; mothers are more than welcome here too. The alliteration just sounded better in my head.

 

While no single pillar is more important than the others, fitness is the tool I plan to use to reach the widest audience. At my heaviest, I weighed 320 pounds. That number hit hard. I remember stepping on the scale terrified of what it would say, because it had been so long since I’d last checked. When I saw 320, I was devastated. I told my wife, and I felt ashamed and embarrassed. In that moment, my whole life felt heavier. But I was deeply motivated to get back on track and reclaim my health. It took a couple of years, but I got down to 260 pounds — and it’s been a seesaw ever since.

 

This is my story, and I truly appreciate you for still being here. I believe it’s important for you to know where I come from so that we can connect on a deeper level and make strides toward being better — one moment at a time.

 

And lastly, just as my late grandfather always said — words I am proud to carry forward — “Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!”

 

God bless you. Now let’s get to work.