Kumusta, mga kababayan.
I’m the first in my family to be born in America. That opportunity was created by my Lolo. He was a Filipino Scout and a POW during World War II, he didn’t talk of the Death March a lot but you can see the memory in his eyes. Dahil sa tapang at sakripisyo niya, our family was able to come to the United States. Because of his sacrifice, resilience, and hard work, our family was given the opportunity to come to the United States. Everything I’ve built stands on that foundation.
I was adopted and raised by my grandparents — my Lola and Lolo — and they shaped who I am. They taught me Tagalog, discipline, pride in where I come from, and the belief that no goal is too big. They expected excellence. They believed in achieving what others might call impossible.
I once hoped to be the first in our family to graduate from college. That didn’t happen. But what my grandparents instilled in me — grit, accountability, and ambition — pushed me to carve out a different path. I worked my way up, step by step, earning trust and responsibility along the way. Today, I serve as the Vice President of Engineering at a well-known free-to-play video game company based in Sacramento, California.
Through it all, I’ve remained proud of my heritage. I speak Tag-lish and cook many of our cuisines — no accent, just respect for both worlds I belong to. And no matter how far life takes me, I’ll always appreciate the simple things that remind me of home: longaniza and tocino all the time, patis and kamatis, adobo, balut – yum, kare-kare, sisig, nalaga and dinuguan. I can go on and on.
Being Filipino means resilience. It means family. It means quiet strength and relentless work ethic. Those values shaped my leadership, my career, and the way I approach life.
Now, I want to give back.
There is so much untapped creativity and technical talent among Filipinos around the world. My hope is to connect with my fellow countrymen, my kababayan — relatives, creators, engineers, artists — and build something meaningful together. Outside of my corporate role, I still love developing games in my spare time. It’s a passion I’ve never let go of. And here we are the logo is Bahay Kubo a song my LoLo loved and what he longed for being Ilocano.
I believe we can create something great — something that reflects our stories, our humor, our grit, and our heart.
Salamat, Lolo. Salamat, Lola.
At maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.
Tara, gumawa tayo ng laro.
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samcontapay/
Email: sam@geekforgestudios.com