From Luke, founder of Tahanan

I wanted to feel
closer to home.

Growing up, I heard Tagalog all around me, but I was never taught to speak it. I felt close to my family and far from the language at the same time.

That feeling stayed with me. I wanted to be part of the conversations happening around me, with words of my own to offer.

After years as a software engineer, I started sharing my own experience of learning Tagalog publicly. Eventually, I built the app I wished I’d had: something warm, thoughtful, and grounded in the people and culture that made me want to learn in the first place.

That became Tahanan.

It started with language.
It keeps growing through people.

What began as a personal project has quickly become something I think of as a movement: Filipinos abroad finding their own ways back to the language, stories, and relationships they want to know more deeply.

Learning Tagalog is one way in. So is asking a parent about their childhood, hearing the story behind a family tradition, or discovering that someone else knows what it feels like to belong to more than one place.

That’s the home I want Tahanan to become. A place where we can be curious together, ask the questions we’ve held onto, and feel a little less alone in finding our way.

You don’t have to earn your place here.

If you grew up abroad and wish you knew more about your Filipino heritage, Tahanan is for you. If you understand the language but struggle to answer, or you’re starting with your very first word, you’re welcome here.

There’s room for people joining Filipino families, too. And for those whose connection to family or home is complicated. You get to decide what reconnecting looks like for you.

You don’t need perfect Tagalog. You don’t need to have grown up in the Philippines. You don’t need to prove you’re Filipino.

You already belong.

There’s more for us to discover.

Today, Tahanan helps people learn Tagalog for everyday conversations. We’re also working on Usapan, a collection of questions to help families share the stories they haven’t thought to ask about.

As Tahanan grows, I want everything we make to bring us closer to the people, language, and culture that matter to us.

I started by looking for a way home for myself. I hope you find something of your own here, too.

Luke
Founder of Tahanan