Hey, I'm Aldrick! 👋

An engineer with a passion for converting coffee into code

I'm a Full-Stack Engineer & DevOps specialist based in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines. I build robust systems, automate the heck out of everything, and love diving into new tech—whether it's cloud infrastructure, blockchain, AI, or whatever's trending.

When I'm not coding, I'm probably maintaining my home lab, tinkering with IoT projects, or downing another cup of coffee. ☕

What I Do

• Automate everything – If I have to do it twice, I write a script for it
• Build & manage cloud infrastructure – AWS, DigitalOcean, and increasingly, my own home datacenter
• Design databases – From relational SQL to flexible NoSQL solutions
• Create CI/CD pipelines – Because manual deployments are so 2010
• Develop serverless applications – Less infrastructure, more logic
• Smart contract development – Blockchain isn't going to build itself

My Tech Stack

Here's the toolbox I've built over the years:

DevOps & Cloud 🐳☁️

Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, AWS, DigitalOcean, Vercel, VMware, Cloudflare, Tailscale, Proxmox, Coder, Coolify

Backend 🛠️

Go, Node.js, Python, Java, Lua, PHP

Frontend 💻

React, Next.js, JavaScript, TypeScript

Serverless & APIs ⚡

GraphQL, ExpressJS

Blockchain ⛓️

Solidity, Hardhat, Truffle, Web3, MetaMask, NFTs/ERC20, EVM

Databases 💾

MongoDB, Redis, PostgreSQL, MySQL

AI & Automation 🤖

Ollama/Llama, OpenWebUI, AI Agents, N8N, UiPath

Game Dev & IoT 🎮📡

Unity Engine, Decentraland, Roblox Studio, Arduino, ESP32

Other Tools 🌍

Windows, Ubuntu, Debian, macOS, VR/Oculus Quest

Currently Exploring

I'm always learning something new! Right now, I'm diving into:

• AI Agents – Building autonomous systems that can handle complex tasks
• Self-hosted AI – Running LLMs locally with Ollama
• Home Lab 2.0 – Expanding my home datacenter with better clustering
• Web3 Gaming – Exploring play-to-earn and decentralized gaming

My Journey

It Started in Bicol 🌋

I'm a bona fide Bicolano—born, raised, and educated in the region. I attended schools in Bicol from day one. But here's the thing: Bicol doesn't have its former glory anymore for software developers like me. The opportunities are scarce, and the tech scene? Let's just say it's not exactly thriving. So eventually, I packed my bags and moved to Laguna to chase what I love. More on that later.

The Spark ⚡

It all began in high school. I was that kid who loved spending afternoons at the local computer cafe, pouring hours into games. But unlike most gamers, I started wondering how these games actually worked. My curiosity caught the attention of my ICT teacher—I was acing every subject like it was nothing.

Then one day, something magical happened. A special guest rolled into our school and taught us how to create websites with HTML. That moment changed everything. I went from playing games to wanting to build them. The seed was planted.

College: The Rise of a Coding Machine 🎓

College at Bicol University was a ride. I devoured every programming subject like it was my last meal. My professors saw something in me—sometimes they'd even brag about me to other students. I won every programming competition I entered. My OJT? Passed with flying colors. Thesis? Done in a shot.

And here's the kicker: we didn't have AI or agentic coding assistants back then. No ChatGPT, no Copilot. Just pure code, late nights, and a whole lot of determination. 🔥

First Steps into the Industry 🎮

After graduation, I landed my first job in the gaming industry. This is where I really honed my skills—game development, a bit of blockchain, the whole nine yards. I even scored a great spot in the Decentraland Game Jam. Those were exciting times!

The Pandemic Twist 😷

Then COVID-19 hit. Everyone was locked down, but I? I had to show up to my job in person—as a tech consultant at a bank. No working from home for me. But honestly? It was a blessing in disguise. I used that time to dive deep into DevOps and learn the business process side of things. Infrastructure, automation, real-world systems—I was getting exposed to it all.

Bull Runs & Teaching 📈

When the pandemic faded, I stepped into my next chapter as a Blockchain Developer. The crypto bull runs were happening, and I was deploying dApps left and right—some even hit big! On the side, I started teaching students about blockchain technology at public seminars. Giving back felt good.

Where I Am Now 🛠️

Fast forward to today: I'm back in the Web2 space as a full-fledged Full-Stack Engineer. I design and implement features for both frontend and backend. But that's not all—I'm also a DevOps guy. I create automations, set up CI/CD pipelines, work with multiple cloud providers, and even run my own homelab server.

Why a homelab? Because privacy matters. I self-host AI servers, DNS servers, search engines—you name it. I'm even migrating my entire workstation to be programmable using Coder and Terraform. Now there are no more "it works in my machine" memes. If it's not in code, it doesn't exist. 🚀

What's Next?

My journey is still being written, and I'm excited for every chapter. If you want to follow along or collaborate, let's connect!

Beyond Work 🎮

I'm not all code and servers! Here's what else I enjoy:

• Gaming – From Unity projects to Roblox and Decentraland, I love creating immersive experiences
• IoT Projects – Building smart devices with Arduino and ESP32 is strangely satisfying
• VR/AR – Experimenting with Oculus Quest and exploring the metaverse
• Self-Hosting – I run my own services at home because why pay for something you can host yourself?

Let's Connect! 🤝

Want to collaborate, chat tech, or just say hi? Find me here:

• GitHub – Check out my code
• WakaTime – See what I'm working on
• X/Twitter – Random thoughts and tech finds
• LinkedIn – Professional networking

Support a Fellow Dev 🙏

Running servers at home isn't cheap, and every bit helps! If you'd like to support my work, you can:

• Send some crypto: 0xec4d08963fc3319e11A2686736600c4dbCa400e6
• Buy me a coffee

Thank You! 💖

You made it to the end—you're amazing! 🎉

Thanks for taking the time to learn about me. I hope my journey inspires you or maybe just gives you a glimpse into what a day in the life of a full-stack DevOps engineer looks like.

And a special shoutout to Ghost for powering this blog. You're the real MVP! 🙌

Let's build something cool together. Catch you on the flip side! ✌️