Pitikmata

Not Quite Christmas

2012-01-08T18:20:00.000+08:00

Many Waters, Many Dreams

2012-01-06T02:17:00.000+08:00

"Ang taong di nakapag-aral parang pulubi. Hindi nakakapagsulat, hindi nakapagbabasa, at hindi makakahanap ng matinong trabaho"

- Jonel Lopecillo, 14 years old, on why he wants classes to resume in Iligan City East High School.

Hello 2012

2012-01-01T07:11:00.001+08:00

Please be kind. I don't think I can take another 2011

A Symptom of Nature

2011-12-11T01:57:00.001+08:00

Congratulations Paul Mondok for a successful exhibit at Republhik! It's currently on-going so please do catch it when you can. More details at https://www.facebook.com/events/298621526835834/?refid=17

10 Things I've Assimilated As I Shot David Beckham

2011-12-05T01:28:00.001+08:00

An avid fan and player myself, I've never gotten this excited about an assignment ever since becoming a photographer. Shooting David Beckham as he arrived in the Philippines to play a friendly match vs the Azkals gave me was my first major soccer assignment. It was an unforgettable experience wherein I learned that:

A renewed respect to sports photographers and anybody who could do it with excellence. Not saying it was never there, but to actually try and shoot sports made me appreciate and salute them even more.
David Beckham has got to be the most photogenic person I have ever shot. Whatever he does looks great in the camera. Nohomo.
The Azkals are the best football team that the Philippines has ever had. Even if it seems they're just 10% Filipino collectively. I dream to see more grassroots like Chieffy Calingdong in the spotlight.
The Canon 5D Mark 2 is totally NOT a sports camera. I love these cameras with my life but I honestly wanted to throw them away and missed the 1D's I used before when I never thought I'd miss any non full-framed camera ever again.
That said, I've never felt like I was dependent on the kind of gear I had until I shot soccer. Or any sports coverage that requires one to be planted in one particular position and not have the essential choice of movement. How fast your cameras are and the quality of lenses at your disposal is an extremely detrimental factor to the kind of photos produce.
I cannot use a monopod to save my life.
Photographers without ethics and cannot even conduct themselves professionally can be found everywhere. Azkal photographer, do you hear me?
The 300mm 2.8, 400mm 2.8, and 500mm 4 L lenses are insanely breathtaking to use. They are worth every penny - If you can buy them and earn them back of course.
Canon Philippines won't give a shit about you unless you are

A chief photographer of a news agency which is perfectly understood
A big shot photographer who spends more time promoting himself than actually shooting
An industry legend who has made a name because of excellent which is also perfectly understood
As long as they know you have X amount of followers in your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or any other relevant social media which means that you are "marketable"

I badly needed a lens longer than 200mm. I went to their office to beg (yes, I think it reached to that point) for one and to my surprise they told me that they had a 300mm that they were just waiting to be returned and that I was going to be the first one to get it if ever it does. And then I was just informed a day before the Galaxy arrived that they have lent it to the newspapers since "They buy a lot of stuff from Canon."

That's when I felt like "WTF?" I don't have anything against the major agencies/newspapers getting prioritized since I had that very same luxury too when I was shooting for Reuters. But to be given that reason? Not to blow one's horn or anything but I believe that I have personally spent an adequate amount of money for Canon equipment throughout the years. I know that's nowhere near the ballpark of any news agencies but that's still more than the average buyer. With all that frustration I honestly was extremely tempted to buy a 300mm or 400mm of my own, but I would never have any use for it other than these assignments so no viable reason to actually get one.

But what really pissed me off was their service. In this country, their main selling point is their "delightful" service. I brought in all my gear on a tuesday for cleaning and calibration since I haven't done it in more than a year. They promised me that it will be ready on Friday morning since I had an assignment in the afternoon. Come Friday, I checked with the hotline about my gear and they told me it was ready. I was so happy to finally getting that renowned "CPS" treatment from them. When I got to the service center, I just found out that not even one of my gears tasted a wipe from them. I suddenly remembered why I haven't gone to them in ages.

The f*cked up thing was I had to wait for roughly an hour before they released the stuff I wanted to pull out already since I was running late for an assignment because of their slow record system. Worse, there was no urgency at all from them as I kept demanding for my stuff back so I could make it to my assignment on time. No wonder we used to send our stuff in Reuters to Canon Singapore instead of here for service ever since. Amazing.

Makes me think about investing in a couple of 1DX's. Gonna spend that much only to get crappy service here? Nikon suddenly sounds so appealing to be honest.

I'm sure Canon does not treat everybody like me. Heck, even some hobbyists get more special attention than professionals here. I'm not saying that Canon owes me anything but I do believe that they should, at the very least, be professional with professionals.

10. I felt like I had the best colleagues and friends ain the world. Both professionally and personally. I would have had an extremely difficult time doing this gig without their unconditional help and guidance. Felt so lucky to have each and every one of them.

One last thing - My opinions are of my own and not of any agency nor publication I work for.

Center Court

2011-12-01T19:12:00.001+08:00

The Philippines has the highest density of basketball courts per capita in the world. It is a sweeping claim that does not posses any legitimate stats to prove it, but it is a claim that any individual would have an arduous time contesting with after travelling around this country.

Filipinos love basketball. A sport that indubitably is from western origins. But there is so much more to Filipinos and basketball than just merely playing the game. The country has fully embraced the sport well enough for it to be associated and assimilated with it's own culture and identity.

The basketball court is more than just a venue to play the sport. It has turned into something as essential and central as a barangay hall and even the church where it is usually built around with. Almost anything that has to do with the Filipino has been done inside a basketball court. From political campaigns; town fiestas; celebrations; sunday masses; refuge as an evacuation center and even as a makeshift funeral place, the basketball court has unostentatiously been at the center of Filipino life whenever it needs to be.

This on-going personal project intends to show the distinctive characteristics of different basketball courts around the nation. More importantly, it aims to show how the basketball court is deeply implanted within the culture of the Filipino people. Not just a venue to play the sport but also as a fundamental centerpiece of the community.

Structured Clutter

2011-12-01T01:50:00.001+08:00

PNR Pandacan Station.

Under the Lord's Shadows Photo and Multimedia Exhibit

2011-11-22T13:59:00.001+08:00

Under the Lord's Shadows Photo and Multimedia Exhibit by Jes Aznar

When: Wednesday November 23, 2011 at 4:00pm - 10:00pm

Where: Kanto, The Collective 7274 Malugay Street San Antonio, Makati Philippines

Description: Under the Lord's Shadows Photo and Multimedia Exhibit

Maguindanao is a place where people flee their homes in the middle of the night to escape the fury of conflict; where children crawl under running mills for morsels of corn; where 58 people are massacred under a glistening sun to keep a ruling clan in power; where babies endure the damp earth of makeshift evacuation shelters; where young men are trained to kill to protect the mighty and the powerful.

Greed and power brought outsiders to Mindanao, taking advantage of those in far-flung areas and in the remotest communities. The island’s geographical distance from the rest of the country made it easy for ruling clans to plunder its resources and abuse its people. The powers-that-be spawned wars to justify armaments and their slice of the trillion-a-year national budget. The evacuees are forced on the run to escape manufactured conflicts.

For decades, the government supported and funded ruling families that could tighten the national government’s grip on power. Mindanao represents the decades-old problems of feudalism, greed and poverty gripping the Philippines. What is happening in the rest of the country is happening in the island tenfold. The ruling clans remain in power, living comfortably inside sprawling mansions, surrounded by their very own gun-wielding private armies.

Outside these fortresses, the people of Maguindanao go on with their daily struggle to earn a living. Their lives are at a standstill. They will flee when there is conflict and they will bury their dead when bullets overtake them. At harvest season, their hungry children will crawl under the mills for leftover kernels of corn.

Under the Lord’s Shadows is part of a Jes Aznar’s long-term documentary project in Mindanao. His project on the issue of land and feudalism in the Philippines led him to the island of Mindanao. Far away from the seat of power and urbanization, it's an island where our society's social, political, and economic conditions are magnified tenfold.

Manakin

2011-11-19T18:42:00.001+08:00

La Trinidad. November 2011.

Tainted Activism

2011-11-16T22:29:00.001+08:00

Photo by Bernard Testa

To my activist friends: First of all, this is me talking as an individual, not a journalist. But I'm basing this from all my experiences as one covering innumerable protests that you all have conducted throughout the years. Seeing what happened to Hillary Clinton's convoy and realizing how uglier it could have been was really appalling.

I'm all for freedom of speech and yeah I can't deny that those were good for pix as a photographer but c'mon guys it's the image of our nation you're tainting. I perfectly understand activist's need to draw attention but this way?

Please top basing your "success" for a demonstration by the noise you create, rather base it on how you can communicate it effectively. The culture of protests in our country has been so tarnished by your "schemes" that people have grown so weary and sick of it already therefore making your efforts spurious and invalid. One can’t be blamed for acquiring the personation that they’re just being paid or used, defeating the spirit of a protest. And you do it with such frequency so much that it's inevitable fo the public would be so desensitized and used to it that you will keep on being ignored.

Also, remember that these are students you tasked to create ruckus and their futures can easily be compromised by actions as such so stop brainwashing them to create ruckus. If you ask half of them they cannot even explain what the fuck they're fighting for. Why not concentrate more on making them understand these important causes you are championing for our nation rather than just sending them out on the streets? There are so many other ways. You're not even getting your messages across for God's sake.

To those whom I've talked to and have valiantly fought for your causes because you believe it sincerely and can explain them with utmost verity as if it is in your blood, my utmost respect for you. But for those who chimp around and act as if they wild animals rioting the streets of Manila and cannot even explain with an open mind and heart what they are there for? Shame.

A Morning with the Iron Butterfly

2011-11-15T06:46:00.001+08:00

Former first-lady Imelda Marcos was then bound for her hometown of Leyte to campaign for a seat in the lower House of Representatives. More than that, she was campaigning for her son, Bongbong Marcos for a position in the Senate. Was amazed with the energy the 80 year-old had. Wanted to spend more time shooting the besmirched icon but there's only so much you could do in five frantic hours.

Check out the article here.

Agree to Disagree

2011-11-14T23:15:00.001+08:00

"To photograph people is to violate them, by seeing them as they never see themselves, by having knowledge of them that they can never have; it turns people into objects that can be symbolically possessed. Just as a camera is a sublimation of the gun, to photograph someone is a subliminal murder - a soft murder, appropriate to a sad, frightened time." — Susan Sontag (On Photography)

I agree and disagree.

Pacquiaoan Na

2011-11-13T03:08:00.001+08:00

Kick some Marquez ass boi

Invisible

2011-11-12T06:05:00.001+08:00

Invisible Photographer Asia was gracious enough to feature some of my photos in their website. Please do check it out here. Thanks for the love, IPA.

Filipino Pride

2011-11-11T19:00:00.001+08:00

Let's go Manny! Your win is the Nation's win. Good luck and make us proud once more.

A Placid Coexistence with the Departed

2011-11-09T16:19:00.001+08:00

Manila North Cemetery

By John Javellana

It's a common perception amongst us mortals to think of cemeteries and graveyards as eerie places to find ourselves in at. Throughout our history from folklore to pop culture; to even the devout and the pagans; mankind has established any burial grounds as something that is hallowed for the departed. But the passage of time inevitably alters everything and in collusion with that is the entailment of man to adapt.

Poverty is something that ironically goes in connivance with progress and it is evident especially in this country. As the rich get richer, the poor constantly gets poorer. Brought about the instinct to adapt, marginalized Filipinos have found peculiar ways to live within the city, forming communities the most unusual places. From dumpsites to bridges; to even makeshift houses that float along the coast, our countrymen have managed to stay within the hustle and bustle of the city for the belief that there's a better chance of a future here compared to the provinces. But there's nothing I personally found more bizarre than living amongst the dead.

The roughly 54-hectare Manila North Cemetery is considered to be the largest and one of the oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila. It houses hundreds of thousands of the city's Catholic dead while it hosts a living community of more than 2,000 inside mausoleums and makeshift personal spaces built atop "apartment-type" tombs. It is owned by the local government of Manila and has already established a conventional locale with its residents; requiring them to have titles for the space they occupy and even permits for the businesses they establish within the premises.

To equal it's oddity, I found out through the personal accounts of the residents in the cemetery that they have been living there for a number of generations already. An 80-year old woman was pleased to tell me the story of how she was born, raised, found love and even nurtured her children within the premises of the Manila North Cemetery. She has made a living by taking care of a number of tombs throughout her life, and she gladly intends to live the remainder of her years there.

It was somewhat a consensus amongst the occupants that the harshness of life was initially the main reason why they resorted into settling down in such an unconventional place of dwelling but unanimously most of them are happier to be in the area rather than anywhere else. For them, the cemetery is like a high-end village that is a lot more posh compared to other makeshift domiciles the city has to offer. And I do not disagree. They have everything that anybody would look for in a community - governance, convenient access to water and food, a regular livelihood, even internet shops and gaming stations for kids to pass the time. But most of all, a place that is legally their own.

At a personal level, the communities within the Manila North Cemetery is a testament to the resilience of the Filipino people to survive and triumph over anything that life tosses at them. I never even had the notion that they were impoverished since they were living pretty comfortably, even in luxury at times when compared to the other dwellings that I have had the chance to come across within the city. It is truly the more opulent side of town - relatively. The only difference is that they placidly share it day and night with the departed.

The Revillas Say Goodbye

2011-11-06T10:30:00.000+08:00

Telenovela is the new balita.

Camerawork by Geric Cruz, Pat Evangelista, John Javellana, Adrian Portugal and Vicente Roxas.

Just Enough.. For Now

2011-11-06T05:40:00.002+08:00

Literally drowning in pictures in pictures right now. It's only been three years since I did this professionally but I'm overwhelmed with the amount of photos I've never gotten the chance to review. I'm both excited and inundated to go over the days of old. Inevitable recollections of memories past always gives us an idea where we are at in the present. Nostalgic feelings on why I decided to become a photographer as well as the usual ambitions that customarily came along with any aspiring lensman engulfed me and made me grateful for where I am at right now. No, I'm still not a conflict photographer. I haven't won the World Press or any award for that matter. I've never been to Africa or any glorious exotic country. I've never even had the chance to exhibit anything I have. I'm not saying that I am never to pursue those ambitions anymore and that I'm contented to the point that I shall be static from here on. I'm just elated that somehow the essential and edifying aspects that one could procure from this profession came first before all those things everybody seems to yearn for.

So what am I grateful for? I am forever indebted to this profession because it has profoundly changed me as a person in almost every aspect imaginable. At some point in anybody's life, the world's beauty and the extraordinary experiences it offers even in the minutest of manifestations becomes enough. You don't even need to take a picture, record, write, paint or even remember it. It just becomes enough.

After the Twin Typhoons

2011-10-24T10:51:00.001+08:00

On September 27, 2011, typhoon Nesat made landfall over the Luzon region of Philippines with such force that it placed itself as the second costliest typhoon that has ever hit the country. With damages amounting to 15 billion Pesos ($333 million USD) and over 83 deaths, it has even surpassed typhoon Ketsana which caused havoc to the country exactly two years earlier. Nesat was the first of twin tropical cyclones to batter the Philippines within one week during September 2011, the second was Nalgae. The two typhoons combined to displace an estimated 500,000 people, about half of whom are in temporary shelter areas on the main island of Luzon by the first week of October.

Unusual Convenience

2011-10-23T23:07:00.000+08:00

Marginalized Filipinos have found peculiar ways to live within the city, forming minute communities the most unusual place

Through Whatever

2011-10-19T18:49:00.000+08:00

It's lovely how Filipinos always find a way to live life no matter what calamity hits us.

I witnessed this scene typhoons Nalgae and Nesat devastated almost the entire coastal villages along Navotas. Most of these kids have just lost their homes and entire material possessions but somehow they still manage to bask in the glorious sunset as it sets through the pungent waters of the bay. It was an attestation to the truth that the human spirit can trump over anything if we allow it to actualize. It's beautiful.

That Ain't Right

2011-10-06T00:42:00.000+08:00

This - really pissed me off today. I don't get sick in the stomach wading through shit waters or squalid dumps but seeing a person do this to an animal? Just ain't right. No to animal cruelty people. Not good.

Pedring's Wrath

2011-10-02T00:31:00.002+08:00

I was on assignment in Eastern Samar when typhoon Nalgae, locally known as Pedring hit Manila with all its fury so I missed the main event. Seeing how it trampled Manila on television was one thing but hooting the aftermath gave me an idea how violent Pedring really was. When nature unleashes, we pretty much can't do anything but be in awe.

Huxley Hits

2011-09-22T19:03:00.000+08:00

“The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less sure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance yet better equipped to understand the relationship of words to things, of systematic reasoning to the unfathomable mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to comprehend” ― Aldous Huxley

Wet As Rain

2011-09-13T04:44:00.001+08:00

Rainy days are here again.

The Manny Man

2011-09-06T21:11:00.000+08:00

Who da man?? He DA MAN!

Just Jump

2011-08-25T15:59:00.003+08:00

"If you wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down."

When the Lights Turn Red

2011-08-19T22:12:00.000+08:00

The night belongs to the poets and the madmen.

Feeling a Moment

2011-08-18T15:57:00.002+08:00

Loving somebody consists of 99% misery. The remaining 1% is emphatically amazing. It's the kind of warmth and tenderness that one will never have again once lost, but it will always be everlasting. I never thought that happiness can be so petrifying. Once I got hold of it, nevermore did I want any other feeling, as if it was the only emotion that I'll ever need. But every feeling of euphoria eventually has an end, resulting to an agony one has to mend.

People love looking at photographs because they have the power to seize both moments and emotions. Precious fragments of time, a thing that we can only freeze through the medium. A friend of mine told me that photographs is a reflection of us. As one holds the camera to take a photo, pressing the shutter and trapping the image we see.. No matter how we took it.. Anybody can tell how one feels simply by looking at that shot. I never believed it until I saw my own emotions in this photo that I took.

Love is just like that. It is made of the analogous aspects that surround a photograph. It is something that is permanent yet has fleeted away. A wonderful ardor that one cannot replicate. Ironic it may be, it is something that we have but at the same time don't. An impossible feeling that you cannot redo.. Because it will always be an unrewindable moment.

Words to Live By

2011-08-15T22:11:00.000+08:00

You can have anything, but you can't have everything - @paulocoelho

Disremembrance

2011-07-29T04:57:00.001+08:00

The universe consistently ends things so it could make things go the way they should. For the most part, if you're really honest with yourself about what you want out of life, life gives it to you. Just always remember that in the end, nothing is as good as you remember.

Reprezent

2011-07-29T04:56:00.000+08:00

Geric Cruz and Tammy David win at the 3rd ASEAN-Korea Mutimedia Competition

Last June 16, it was announced that photographers Geric Cruz, 26, and Tammy David, 28,were chosen to represent the Philippines in Seoul, Korea, for a seminar and multimedia workshop participated in by established professors and artists. This is for winning in the 3rd ASEAN-Korea Multimedia Competition, both artists receiving notable scores among the entries submitted by the Philippines.

Joining David and Cruz will be other winners from Brunei, Cambodia, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam. The winning entries will be exhibited from July 28 to August 14, 2011 at the Palais de Seoul, a gallery in Seoul, Korea, and will also be exhibited online.

Both David’s and Cruz’ work are documentaries. David’s Crown and Country (recepient of special prize) explores the human aspect of beauty pageants in the Philippines while Love, Mom (winner) is an intimate portrait of Cruz’ grandmother.

“I’m happy that they (Silverlens) are pushing documentary work...not that it’s under the radar, but it doesn’t really have a place in galleries," says Cruz.

Inspired by the unconditional love that a mom has for her child (something that Cruz saw in his mother and grandmother), he beautifully captured his grandmother through a series of photographs set in their home.

In aninag.org, David describes how the aspect of competition in beauty pageants appealed to her because it showed a lot of its human side: “The staunch supporters, the predominantly gay beauty queen trainers and the unlikely contestants, each have their own motivations in being part of this surreal world."

Both artists are products of the Silverlens Photography Workshops and are grateful on how the experience has benefited them both as artists and as people.

“...taking the workshops and Silverlens being open to portfolio reviews. It gives you the discipline to take more pictures, to constantly focus on your projects and constantly editing your portfolio until its perfect," expresses David.

The 3rd ASEAN-Korea Multimedia Competition is under ASEAN-Korea Centre, an intergovernmental organization promoting economic and socio-cultural cooperation of Korea and ASEAN. It is supported by the ASEAN, ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information, ASEAN University Network, Alternative Space LOOP and Hongik University.

For more information, visit http://www.asean.org
Words by Jel Tordesillas; Image: from Crown and Country by Tammy David

Shameless Plug

2011-07-13T23:31:00.003+08:00

I have just been interviewed by Invisible Photographer Asia and they've featured photos from an on-going personal project in the Vitas dumpsite. Kindly check it out by clicking here. Thanks for visiting!

Just Smile

2011-07-06T21:21:00.000+08:00

Sometimes life is kind.

Bangaan, Ifugao Province July 2011

Bangaan

2011-07-06T10:52:00.001+08:00

You shall always be my personal Nirvana Ifugao.. I'll never stop coming back.

Bangaan, Ifugao Province July 2011

Seeing Red

2011-06-16T04:02:00.001+08:00

Drinking with my friends, and I just saw this amazing sight of the moon turning red. The Photo doesn't do justice to how amazing it looks in real life. Didn't have a tripod or a long enough lens, but how can one resist not to try? Seriously, where's a friggin tripod when you need one?? Here's as far as my hands could go.

Lunatic High

2011-06-16T03:09:00.000+08:00

Baaaad night to be a werewolf!

Vajayjay

2011-05-12T02:10:00.000+08:00

Veejay Villafranca. Photographer/Supahstar. Retired gigolo. Great friend.

Juvenile Nostalgia

2011-05-12T01:51:00.000+08:00

Everybody misses being a kid -- even you can't deny it.

Blood and Faith

2011-04-23T15:09:00.000+08:00

Have a great Holy Week everybody.

Keeping it Real

2011-03-22T16:39:00.001+08:00

My kind of hobo.

Send in the Brides

2011-03-20T17:03:00.000+08:00

SFO is a TRIP. Period.

Morning Glory

2011-03-16T23:55:00.000+08:00

Nothing like a glorious sunrise to start your day

BLAGAG

2011-03-01T21:48:00.000+08:00

Sometimes you have to get your face planted in order to progress

Nathan Road

2011-01-18T21:16:00.000+08:00

Can't believe I've actually declined trips to Hong Kong my whole life. I've always thought that it was just like Makati so it was not big deal but god was I so wrong.. I can't wait to go back.

Back to the Suck

2011-01-17T13:31:00.000+08:00

Back doing weddings again.. I must admit that it's not the most elating practice of photography especially here in the Philippines wherein one's aesthetics and feel could easily and inevitably be tainted by the popular demand. Think Storyline vs telenovela flicks -- yes, that far.

I suddenly remembered why I stopped shooting weddings 2 years ago. It is just so damn taxing but it's a necessary evil for me today. I know the profession calls for us to deliver all the wishes and even the smallest of whims the client asks for and I don't blame them. It's somewhat embedded in the culture.

But every once in a while you meet a couple who wants to have something out of the norm; a couple who lets you do what you're professed to do - capturing important, essential and impactful moments that are meant to be timeless and would always remind them of their special day, who they were and how they felt that very same day whenever they see the photos 10, 20, 30 years from now. Which is what wedding photography is for me. Not trying to make fashion models out of the couples who clearly are not; not the stale thrown-away veil shots; basically not trying to turn the couple to something they are not.

I know sometimes it's the couple who wants these things but we as photographers should know if it is for them or not. They have every right to demand as clients, who hire and pay us. But our profession gives us the right and responsibility to make it right. Yes we are in the craft of providing clients our services but it does not mean that we do everything they want to the point of allowing them to look bad. Forced. To the point it's silly at times. It's a basic fact in life that sometimes what we want is not the thing for us.

We all carry the "wedding photographer" metier along with us everytime we shoot. Admit it -- it's something that isn't that respected in our country nowadays but it is up to us to uplift that image one wedding at a time.

Bahaghari

2010-12-05T11:50:00.000+08:00

I guess you can state it as a fact that not everybody could claim that they saw an actual end of a rainbow for even just once in their lifetime. I was enchanted with its resplendent grandness as I was mixed with the ironic feeling of anxiety and unease as we sailed past the pirate waters of Basilan. One would usually ask where the hell the pot of gold is but I realized that actually seeing it is as good as finding the myth true. My photograph doesn't do justice to what I saw - it was more vibrant, more captivating and engrossing in person. Just another example on why pictures alone could never replace actually being there.

Adios Mindanao

2010-11-24T10:59:00.000+08:00

Loved my stay in Mindanao - even if it only lasted for a while. Going to go back for more that's for sure.

Vibrant Disposition

2010-11-20T17:15:00.000+08:00

Life can be colorful when you want it to be.

Good Morning Mindanao

2010-11-18T21:41:00.000+08:00

I must admit that I was quite adamant with the thought of going to the region for the first time because of all the unnerving events that have happened here throughout it's history. But behind all that petrifying veil of presentiments that one could naturally associate with the word "Mindanao" lies a beautifully tranquil refuge filled with gentle smiles of people that is complimented by the calming tropical feel that can only be infused by life beside the ever-humbling sea. I'm happy to be here and I hope it stays that way.

Soloista

2010-09-18T20:07:00.001+08:00

Mah homegurl's first solo. Come one come all.

CROWN AND COUNTRY

Photo essay on Pageant Culture in the Philippines by Tammy David

The latest addition to her series of perspectives, Tammy David showcases the pageantry of determination, ambition, and hard work in her photo exhibit entitled Crown and Country. In this 12-photo display, Tammy shares her awakenings as she follows local beauty contestants in all their shimmering and dressed-down-and-less glory.

“Like boxing and basketball, beauty pageants are very much part of my countryʼs culture. Beauty pageants are a metaphor for Filipino culture because they glorify beauty, reflect filial and societal mores, and provide an aspirational platform that is a manifestation of my countryʼs colonial history.", the 27 year old freelance photographer enthuses. Immersing into the trainings, proceedings, pageant proper, and the contenders however, Tammy realizes that the pageants are more than celebrations of tradition – they are pathways to doors that open to better lives. The access brings to life aspirations to see the world, to land better jobs, to have better food on the table, to support an ailing parent, to send siblings to school, and yes, to be a beautiful living symbol of one’s country, it’s ambassadress of goodwill. These hearts are what make up each pageant contestant, and the rigorous trainings and preparations are all unabashedly taken in.

Physical beauty, love for family, fear of God, love for country. Experience the spectacle.

“Crown and Country” will be on display from 19 September - 17 October 2010 at MANILA COLLECTIVE Photospace Cafe Cubao X (formerly Marikina Shoe Expo) Gen. Romulo Ave. Cubao, QC For more information, visit www.manilacollective.com

Time's Up

2010-09-01T00:19:00.000+08:00

I guess four months is enough time to bask in the indolent side of life ever since I started working while still in college. I found the perfect excuse of having a vacation after never having the opportunity to get one. Now that's over and done with I find myself yearning for what was so sickening already a few months ago. I guess after 25 years of existing on this planet, I got caught up being confused on whether to make the most out of my last years of tolerably still being a kid or start the scary but inevitable process of growing up. The latter succeeds and playtime's over. Looking for my groove back let's just hope the groove's still there to take me back in.

The Kid in Us

2010-06-25T01:41:00.002+08:00

I miss shooting.. I miss getting high while holding the camera.. My bike is the current prevailing source of that high right now, the kind of high in which you feel so damn free.. Feel nothing but euphoria and bliss.. Feel like life's one whole big adventure wherein the excitement of the uncertain seems to lurk at every corner even with just the most minute of things. In some ways, the feeling you get when you're a kid. But there always comes a time wherein we have to give up the dearest of things to our heart, move on and grow up in the process -- even temporarily. So we could become kids again and do whatever we want to do, even just for once in a while as we all live this life out.

Pure Bliss

2010-05-24T00:42:00.000+08:00

Bruised. Battered. Cut open. Even with all the protective gear that has the ability to make one feel invincible once worn. And that's just the start. First time I took my new downhill rig after buying it a day earlier and she immediately made going down with her worth every penny. All the pain, the exhaustion, the blood and pain are all worth that rush you get when you're flying down the hill with jump, drops, banks, literally everything. I've never felt so free, so happy with my life but I've never been so broke and distant with photography as well. It is pure bliss, but we're not in a perfect world. There's always compromises.

On Fire

2010-05-16T15:39:00.001+08:00

An iPhone snap of the fire that took more than seven hours to put out and razed 800 houses that left thousands homeless in Muntinlupa city on Saturday May 15, 2010. These fires happen quite often especially in the slum areas here in the Metro. Roughly 4,000 are now homeless and it's just sad. Please try to drop by nearby evac centers if you live in the area and try to give some of your excess such as food or clothing.

Feast of the Black Nazarene

2010-04-15T16:40:00.002+08:00

Yes it's been months since the feast has been over but it's only recently that I was able to play around with a video editing software to put together random clips I've shot during '09 and '10. Tried to shoot acceptable video clips, but these are just random footage I've shot back then without the purpose of editing it into a piece. It's just too hard to simultaneously shoot video when you're priority is to capture great stills.. But I'll get the hang of it. Video and stills are in totally different worlds. I know everybody's getting sick of Nazareno footages but here's what I've managed to come up with.

Disappearing Act

2010-04-15T16:13:00.003+08:00

Run. When you have nothing else better to do just run. Far, far, far away.. Until you get lost and find your way again.

Heaven On Earth

2010-04-01T02:10:00.002+08:00

Had to walk a lot of times but all the pain and exhaustion was well worth it. Simply the closest thing to heaven on earth.

Photo by Karla Ortigas

Olongapo Night Life

2010-02-19T02:40:00.003+08:00

A short clip from a night club at Olongapo's Red Light District. Commodity at its lowest.

STRIP 2010 : A documentary exhibit by Tammy David, Jake Verzosa and Veejay Villafranca

2010-02-18T00:36:00.000+08:00

Date:	Friday, February 19, 2010
Time:	6:00pm - 11:30pm
Location:	Silverlens Gallery, Pasong Tamo extension

There is nothing in the world more interesting than people. And documentary photographers, Tammy David, Jake Verzosa and Veejay Villafranca know it.

Launching STRIP, a new annual photography show by Silverlens Gallery, are three young photographers who are all about documenting the here and the now. In a time when photojournalism has been replaced by video and live coverage of world events and everyday news, David, Verzosa and Villafranca hold on to the power a photograph has in telling a story. Their stories are still about bridging the gap between subject and audience, but this time with more emotion and revelation.

Pointing the camera at herself, David’s work, It takes an island; or how to be alone, is personal and honest. Her documentary is not the Kodak moment or the Facebook profile type; instead she rids of the picture perfect circumstances to reveal a part of her life story only a select few (if at all) have seen. She lays it out for us. She looks like that when she wakes up; she exercises in her bathtub; she has a habit of pulling her hair. No touch-ups and no styling, David invites the audience to look at her. Putting an honest face to documentary photography, she shows that the simple truth is as good and as relevant a story as any other.

Verzosa’s work entitled Communal Identity documents the different faces of the indigenous peoples of Southeast Asia- faces the world seldom gets to see, much less get to know about. Bearing witness to the living cultures of the region, Verzosa’s work records the details of the people’s everyday lives, from their clothes and chores, to their homes and landscapes. His ethnographic theme is strong, but is not limited to documenting the ‘other’. Also looking inward, Verzosa’s documentary makes it clear that the differences between people are circumstantial, and therefore not prime in understanding human nature. Everyday life is the same everywhere. There is routine; there is a need to make a living; and there is a want for expression.

Completing the trio is Villafranca, whose work, Marked: the gangs of Baseco, documents the story of the forgotten. Immersing himself in the world of the Baseco compound in Manila, which is rift in poverty, violence and stagnancy, Villafranca exposes the life of a gang member- from the rehabilitated ones seeking decent livelihoods to the compound’s children so vulnerable to the lures of gang life. Knowing his subjects are hardened to vulnerability and honesty, Villafranca spent much time with the gang members and acquainted himself with the neighborhood to reveal stories so potent and ripe with patience. Villafranca’s work witnesses the struggles the people of Baseco must face everyday to find dignity and acceptance, only to reveal that their story echoes throughout the world.

The work of David, Verzosa and Villafranca define the integral in documentary photography: accessibility is key. Forging a connection or relationship between subject and photographer, they strip the artificiality and manipulation this technological age has generated to highlight what is right there…such that in their case, exposure is much more than technical process of photography.

Image: (from left to right), Communal Identity by Jake Verzosa, Marked: The Gangs of Baseco by Veejay Villafranca, It Takes an Island; or How to be Alone by Tammy David

On Hiatus

2010-02-11T13:28:00.000+08:00

It's now official, I'm taking a hiatus from my cameras until I figure some stuff out. It's a personal decision that I thought was going to be tough at first, but just came naturally as I have become true to what I am currently feeling. Although I must admit that the situation with the news agency I'm working for is a big crash on the wall and has made me realize what other priorities a growing 25 year old like me has to focus on. And given the current happenstance, I don't have it in me right now to put the beguiled idea of clicking a camera to feed me and my needs in my list as one of my goals; such as becoming financially independent, having a secure savings account, steady income etc. Before I used to say that "I'd rather be broke as long as I'm doing what I love" and "Money don't mean a thang" but even if I am at a disposition to eagerly fight for something with bitter hostility, you realize certain things as you grow older. Trying to mix business and photography for me kills the passion I have with it and that's what unexpectedly happening right now.

People, especially within my family have begun to question my wanton obsession with mountain biking. For me it's like an airbag, cushioning the crash I underwent after the valediction from my once sacrosanct job as a news photographer. It sets me free, exhausts my tenuous attempts to dissimulate what I really feel inside and gives me a tenacity that I am still able to do something I want. How I wish I could surreptitiously create a way to dig myself out of this hole rather than pedaling my way out of it, but sometimes you just have to run away and come back fighting.

Black Nazarene Two Days Ago

2010-01-11T15:00:00.006+08:00

Feast of the Black Nazarene 2010 from John Javellana on Vimeo.

Devotees participate in a procession of the Black Nazarene in Manila January 9, 2010. Hundreds of thousands of barefoot devotees thronged the streets of Manila on Saturday as a centuries old black statue of Jesus Christ, believed to have healing powers, was paraded through the old city. The wooden, life-sized Black Nazarene, carved in Mexico and brought to the Philippines in the early 17th century, is taken out of the Quiapo Church on Jan. 9 each year for the largest parade in the predominately Roman Catholic countrySame same, but different ya? For me it's just a bad case of too much devotion.

Black Nazarene a Year Ago

2010-01-08T20:52:00.002+08:00

Shot this video during last year's Feast of the Black Nazarene. Just a little preview of what's in store for tomorrow. Apologies for the shaky frames.

Rumuroots

2010-01-05T23:16:00.004+08:00

It's been a good five years since I last went back to my family's hometown of Bacolod. Going around the city made me realize how time really does change everything. My cousins are all grown up, older relatives getting older and having their own families.. And me? All these things make me start feeling my age. At 25, people keep on telling me that I am still young and not to worry too much about these things. But as you get older, time seems to go faster; giving you lesser opportunities to be free to do whatever you want due to the more time we are required to concentrate on how to make your own life work. Calculation, responsibilities and priorities are slowly becoming the name of the game instead of fun, joviality and liberation.

Going back to my roots made me realize that everybody has a life that he or she has to leave. Old homes, hoary playgrounds, familiar hangouts become mere memories of good or bad things that have passed. Being in Bacolod for months every year way back when I was still young created a certain sense of familiarity up to the point that I never thought anything would change. Friends would be there, cousins, even the pets. Familiarity is something that make us take things for granted which I think I am guilty of. That's why I haven't been back in years.

Just because we feel that certain things in life are indissoluble, it doesn't mean that we should never invest time on it. Enjoy the present and never take for granted moments with people dear to you for nothing in this life is sempiternal. Like the old saying goes, the only thing constant in this life is change.

Flaring It Up

2009-12-16T04:27:00.001+08:00

There's something truly captivating about seeing a volcano spurt out oozing lava during the night. It's one of those few times that you could really feel like the earth is alive and animated. It's my first time to see the famous Mayon Volcano here in Albay and it's such a sight to see it like this. I was dumbfounded to know how the feeling of nonchalance was vastly shared among the local residents. It is as if they are so used to Mayon acting up like this -- and they are. No cause for concern, no cause for panic. So what does a photographer on vacation do? Just hang loose and watch the magnificent display of mother nature of course.

Lightstalking

2009-12-07T01:14:00.002+08:00

Just updated my Lightstalkers account for the first time since I last opened it a year ago. I love the intention of the website but I must admit that it's so hard for neophyte photographers who are unheard of and are still starting off (such as myself) to be able to join discussions or even just get feedback from the veterans within the site. Politics rule supreme eh? Anyway here's a slideshow of some of my photos from the tragic Typhoon Ketsana. Cheers.

Reuters Slideshow: Inside the Philippines

2009-12-07T00:44:00.001+08:00

Some old photos from the good ol' days. Click here to view the slideshow.

Carrying On

2009-12-06T02:15:00.004+08:00

It's hard to stay on track especially if one is losing inspiration. It's difficult to keep your eyes open when your heart is closed.

Pictures of the Year International

2009-12-06T02:05:00.001+08:00

Pictures of the Year International

POYi Launches 67th Annual
Photojournalism Competition

• "Call for Entries" set for release Dec. 8
• Online registration and entry opens Dec. 18

• Deadline for entry uploads is Jan. 15

Pictures of the Year International is privileged to launch its 67th annual competition, setting the gold-standard for documentary photography, multimedia, and visual editing.

POYi is scheduled to release a preview of the 2009 "Call for Entries" on Tuesday, Dec. 8, offering an overview of all the contest categories and guidelines. Online registration and the entry uploading platform will be available at www.poyi.org on Friday, Dec. 18 and will conclude on Friday, Jan. 15.

POYi is the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism program in the world. The mission of the annual POYi competition is to extend the reach of photojournalists by providing educational public exhibitions and reflecting the news events, social issues, and cultural trends of our time. When you enter Pictures of the Year International, your work reaches out to citizens worldwide and becomes a part of visual history.

The premiere multimedia category, "Documentary Project of the Year," returns for a second year to honor the best extended journalistic series or long-form project. Last year this category received overwhelming participation with topics on aging, drug wars, transportation, the economy, and urban homicide. In addition, POYi continues its six-decade tradition of spotlighting the very best portfolios in the "Photographer of the Year" categories. Cash awards are offered in eight premiere categories totaling more than $10,000, including Tiffany crystal trophies and engraved plaques. Last year 180 photographers and editors were recognized across 48 categories as the best in the world from more than 46,000 submitted photographs, printed pages, and Web-based presentations.

The judging process will be held Feb. 14 through March 5 in a public forum completely open to anyone who wishes to attend. In addition, POYi will return its free, real-time Web casting of the judging via Adobe Connect. This Web conferencing software provides an unprecedented virtual experience of entry presentations and jury panel comments from any Internet access. The three consecutive weeks of review will be held at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia.

The Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles will host an extended exhibition of POYi award-winning images beginning in June. This is the second year that POYi has partnered with the Annenberg Space for Photography for it awards and education program, plus a four-month gallery showing of both print and digital documentary photography.

Listed is a tentative schedule for the upcoming contest season:

• Dec. 8 - "Call for Entries" posted online at www.poyi.org along with email announcements.

• Dec. 18 - Electronic registration and entry uploading platform activated.

• Jan. 15 - Deadline for all entries to be electronically submitted.

• Feb. 14 through March 5 - Judging period for three consecutive weeks.

• June - POYi Exhibition, Education, and Awards Program at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.

Don't Stop Helping

2009-10-13T18:42:00.000+08:00

There are still thousands of people needing our help. Please don't stop giving out donations if you still can.

Ondoy Aftermath

2009-09-28T01:12:00.003+08:00

I'm still perplexed with the fact that I would actually see something this catastrophic brought about by just one day of intense raining. It's surreal.

Crap

2009-08-27T21:57:00.002+08:00

Drowning in tons of pictures.. Have a week left on my vacation to finish my website and I'm nowhere near done. It's like scraping through heaps of garbage, hoping to find something shiny. Oh well, at least it's better than drowning with nothing (It's possible).

Motown Lovin

2009-07-22T01:38:00.004+08:00

Got treated by my girlfriend to watch the Boys 2 Men concert so I got to treat my parents to go as well since they also like them. Am on vacation now, trying to put down the cameras but I somehow just can't.. I just had to have pictures of them. Actually not bad photos for non-VIP seats. The concert was really nice, hearing songs I've grown up to. But it wasn't complete without Michael McCary who provides the bass for their songs. Still, it was a blast. Nothing beats old school dance moves.

Woof

2009-06-24T20:00:00.001+08:00

Bono, the love of my life.

Instant Souvenir

2009-06-24T02:36:00.006+08:00

Coming from Manila, I never expected that Laos could be a lot more backward than we are. People say that Vientiane shows hints of how Manila was some 30, even 50 years ago. No traffic.. Simple living.. Happy, kind and warm people on the streets.. Not even a building taller than 14 storeys in the whole country. It was really a laid-back atmosphere. Aside from the occasional Hummers and Mercedes Benz that come out of nowhere on dirt roads, everything seems to be a lot more behind.

But there was one slightly insignificant thing I noticed that they were able to overtake us with (well Beerlao came close) and it was the souvenir photographers at the Patouxay Monument at the center of the city. Something which I assumed is identical to the Rizal monument in Luneta Park here back home. The photographers had decent digital SLR cameras and hooked to it is a portable ixus printer along with a battery pack on their belts. How clever and cool is that??!

Our infamous Luneta photographers were the first thought that popped into my head as I saw these men that I found to be astue in terms of their business. They could really benefit from doing something like this back home. Tourists wouldn't want anything more than an instant photo souvenir that's printed right in front of them. Interesting.

Jaded in Vientiane

2009-06-19T00:25:00.007+08:00

I needed to get away from Manila and here I am in Laos particularly in Vientiane. It's a nice, quiet city with pleasant people but it pretty much ends with that. I love the noodle soups and the cheap Beerlao but that's about it. I went for a quick visit to C.O.P.E. or Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise, a rehab center providing training and support for people needing artificial limbs. I spent just a few minutes there but I couldn't remember the last time I felt like I was shooting something on my own content. It was liberating, even if it was just for half an hour and didn't even get anything great. The point was I did something for me - something I was genuinely interested in without needing the approval of anybody.

I don't know why but I just feel so uninspired. And again, comes a lot of maybes. Maybe I got so stuck with Siem Reap's magic that I could not appreciate the quiet little town that I was able to go through within a day. Maybe I'm too disappointed that my trip to Luang Prabang got cancelled because of the insanely strong rain the past days followed by fully booked flights on the day the skies cleared. Maybe I'm just too burnt out to appreciate anything.

In Acrid Memoriam

2009-06-01T01:26:00.005+08:00

It was my first time to shoot inside the American memorial cemetery and I've never been to a more peaceful place within the jungle of Metro Manila. Everything about it was done in extremely strict yet tranquil symmetry - from the way the grass were trimmed, to the way the crosses were flawlessly arranged. It was the perfect place to rest for all eternity. I was never a big fan of the Americans, but I liked what they did with this one.

What ensnared my attention was all the names that were written on the pillars of the memorial, referring to the Filipinos. I never had a more disseminating figure of how many lives were lost. A list so vast, that it made the person almost - if not anonymous instead of recognized. All of this loss in order to give us the freedom we enjoy so much right now. We enjoy it so much that we take it for granted (just admit it).

It made me think. What if I was one of those who sacrificed for what's going on right now with our country? Would I be fulfilled? Would it have been worth it? Nah... I'd be very, very disappointed. To have a country taken over by heartless, selfish and egomaniacal pricks?? No wonder hardly anybody would die for this country today.

Family Ties

2009-05-22T02:22:00.004+08:00

No, it's not an assignment for swine flu. I was lucky to have some time off so I could go up north with my family. It's been so long since I last got to spend time with my cousins. Last time I saw most of them, I was still in high school and most of them were innocent young toddlers. Everybody's growing up so fast, making me feel so old aleady. Time can go by so quickly, it takes you by surprise.

Kudos Pacman

2009-05-03T23:48:00.002+08:00

I may not be a fan of his hubristic swagger but I do love how he made the country proud once more as well as uniting all of us - even if it was for only 2 rounds.

Filipino Pride

2009-04-23T14:33:00.003+08:00

Kudos to Brian Viloria and Nonito Donaire who held onto the IBF light flyweight and flyweight titles respectively. With all the arrogance and hype that surrounds the sport of boxing, actually shooting it and being there put into my perspective how it could be a source of national pride even just in an individual level; beyond the money-making and controversies that have embraced the sport.

No Room for Divinity

2009-04-10T19:29:00.004+08:00

Third time's definitely not a charm. Was back in Cutud earlier today, it has always been a barometer of the knowledge I have acquired ever since I started my photography. It's a hellish coverage but what's more sickening than the searing heat that makes you ask the question what the fuck is your very being doing in such a Hadean environment is the fact that holiness is made into one big circus-like commodity wherein everybody wants to be the star - the penitents, the flagellants, the VIPs, even the media. No more room for authentic divinity. None at all.

Hell Week

2009-04-05T18:02:00.003+08:00

Palm Sunday marks the start of the Holy Week which in turn is such a busy week for journalists. It's gonna be one helluva week.

Bienvenido!

2009-04-01T20:21:00.002+08:00

Welcome to the world Sean Jacob Ravelo Gagalac! You'll be my first godchild in a few weeks time :)

Spent

2009-04-01T19:47:00.003+08:00

Exhausted seems such a weak word for my state right now. Hours have been piling up and work is starting to feel like work with each day that passes by. I am not having enjoying it anymore because of administrative problems. Its the inevitability that cannot be avoided with anything that becomes routine.

Fields of Gold

2009-03-16T11:48:00.004+08:00

The countryside has always been special for me. A place where the bliss of serenity could be found in such simplicity. Away from the chaos of trying to keep up with the ruckus of the city life, I saw this farmer walking his way through a seemingly endless sight of the rice fields under the glorious first rays of the morning sun. It is a pleasant thing to realize how they have the privilege of making their way to work in all of this glory day in and day out.

Cherish the Day

2009-03-04T23:38:00.003+08:00

We have everything to lose once we have everything. The tendency to take things for granted when it is in abundance seems like an inevitability. So we must not. Continue fighting and living for the things you love, even if familiarity and routine starts to take over.

Catnaps

2009-02-23T21:31:00.004+08:00

Not the most pleasant of places to take a nap in.. But when exhaustion kicks in, anywhere would do.

Simple Lavishness

2009-02-23T20:38:00.008+08:00

Filipinos love to feast. Festivities have been an inextricable part of Filipino culture as far as I know. Most of them have to do with religious persona such as the Virgin Mary or the Santo Nino. For reasons other than of devotion, feasts have provided the prosaic citizen an escape from the uniformity of difficult situations they have to endeavor day in and day out.

I took these photos when I stumbled upon the small barangays in Guadalupe as they caroused during the feast of Nuestra Senora. It wasn't the most propertied of areas, making it ironic as it is located in the country's financial district. The feast itself is not as big as the famous ones such as the Dinagyang and Sinulog. Yet, the place was overflowing with booze, food and the most noticable of them all - laughter, as much as any bigger feast would have.

Somehow, it reflected within me how my countrymen have this uncanny ability to take pause and have a marvelous time no matter what the circumstaces may be. With all this talk of corruption, recession, oil, food and even LPG prices going up, it's nice to see our sense of making marry never withers. For a day, residents enthralled themselves is lavishness - even if how simple it could be.

Rakrakan

2009-02-11T02:11:00.002+08:00

Flarin' It Up

2009-02-11T01:32:00.004+08:00

Every once in a while we get a photograph that we cannot seem to understand how it came to be. This was one of them for me :)

Kung Hei Fat Choy

2009-01-28T23:30:00.003+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year everybody :)

When Photojournalists Get Bored...

2009-01-26T03:00:00.003+08:00

...We put mascots on and try to stab each other.

At Heart

2009-01-21T21:29:00.011+08:00

Children romping around, dousing in all gaiety at random is a wonder that never fails to snatch my attention. I revel in shooting children at play. Not because they're the most effortless of subjects to take photos of, but rather because they are the strongest reminders of how free and fun life used to be way back when we were all innocent.

Pananampalataya

2009-01-18T23:42:00.015+08:00

"Pananampalatayta" denotes faith in my native tongue. Our country is considered as the eminent Catholic country in south east Asia. I was born and raised as a devout Catholic, ever zealous of all its teachings and praxis, but I do admit that mine has dwindled in recent years.I have always been fascinated by the event ever since I became a photographer, and this year was my first time to actually be there.

I never imagined for the life of me that an unbelievable mass of people actually go to this event year in and year out barefooted and all, risking life and limb to touch or even get a glimpse of the revered statue. I incessantly get to watch this event on television but it was flat out when you see it in all its actuality.

Everybody told me that I would be a fool to get myself in the crowd. As the devotees started to push and shove one another just to get to the rope, I immediately understood why my friends were all telling me not to go in. The feeling was literally like being dragged by the waves of the sea. Seeing an unconscious body being passed on in front of me gave me a perturbed feeling that I was going to be next.

There seemed to be no sign of attrition form the devotees as the procession carried on. Vast amounts of people ranging from the senescent to infants; the healthy and the frail were all there walking barefoot in their devotion. I found it weird that I was enthralled in stupefaction as I was witnessing the whole thing instead of being moved by it.

I don't think it's faith that I gave up on but more of the system and the formality of the church. The church's red tape decorum limited me in truly experiencing God. It seems as if they have so many conditions and requirements for us to have him in our lives. This is the reason why I find the thought of the church somewhat noxious. I'd rather see and feel God outside on my own in whatever way he wants me instead of having to go through priests, requirements, ceremonies and suchlike. The aspect of God in our lives should be a natural emphatic choice, not enforced and conditional.

I was all set to pull out and go back to the office at around 4pm since I have been working from 8am when I suddenly got assigned to take a position atop the church to shoot the arrival of the statue which was expected to be back at 6pm. It got back at around 9 instead. I was enervated. I am well accustomed to waiting for long hours but this was different.

Being there on the tower with a correspondent from the BBC somewhat gave me an insight how the western world perceive these kinds of events. One part he was so amazed on with all that was happening while on the other he couldn't believe how desperate all these people looked. During this time I was balancing on two resonant sentiments. One for my own practice of my faith wherein which I try to control the way I relate to God and on the other hand the austere surrender of the people below were showing; totally submitting one's self is a different high that one could get. The event in my opinion is the epitome of the thin borderline separating unfeinged faith and the fraught undertakings us Filipinos would go through to escape the pangs of life on this earth. The latter especially evident once you get to talk to the Devotees.

As the Nazarene was slowly brought back home, the perspective atop the church was a spectacle that moved the numbed reception I had all day for this event. My antipathy for traditional religious praxis was replaced with awe and reverence by the sight of an ocean of people who collectively came as a whole for something that they believe in. The devotees sang and chanted hymns of praise and worship. To see it all happening from up there was stupefying - it was as close of a view you can get if you were in heaven. It was a milieu so moving, not even God and the angels could afford to ignore it.

En Cours

2009-01-02T12:57:00.004+08:00

'08 passed by in leisure. It's time to put things into perspective and get back to work.

Usukan

2009-01-01T23:52:00.003+08:00

Paolo Picones. Photographer/Ninjakol.

Perfekt

2009-01-01T21:14:00.008+08:00

'08 was a year filled with genial stupefaction. It was a year that made me appreciate the fact that the best things come in the most abrupt of natures. Finally finding a set of amigos who are genuine and staunch has carried me to significant heights both as a person and a photographer. I've always thought that I could be just fine on my own but as I found myself surrounded by such good company made me see how uplifted an individual could be because of nonpareil camaraderie. Masked in idiocy and ridicule, my friends have never failed to give me that push and inspiration when life's situations ultimately requires profoundness.

It was one of those years in which everything seemed to go your way. Career was great. No awards, no grants nor recognition but I've never been a fan of those. It was a great year in the sense that I felt like I was able to do my job well and at the same time quench my thirst to know and learn more about the world I live in. I got to see and share stuff that elicited robust sentiments within me. The trip to the Angkor photography workshop opened my eyes even more, giving me that conviction to see the world with further acuteness.

But it was at the end of the year that I conceded to the fact that it was mine. Something that I refused to assume. There is no better feeling for me than the moment we encounter someone who fits immaculately with your being.. Someone who effortlessly drenches your actuality with ardor and benevolence.. Someone who could just embezzle you away from life's throbbings and bring you the most elusive of life's stupefaction which is peace. That's when I knew I have found what I have been looking for.

That Bay Feeling

2008-12-11T23:22:00.004+08:00

Time and again I have traipsed to Manila Bay whenever I am in search for a fleeting moment of repose and tranquility. I adore how the warmth of the glorious sunsets kiss my face and how the scene enclasps me with all its splendor. I have seen a profusion of sunsets everywhere but nothing compares to the ones here at home. It's great to be back.

Uhm

2008-12-11T00:47:00.004+08:00

I turned 24 a couple of days ago. Initially it felt like an ordinary, wonted day.. No plans, no celebrations, no nothing. But when good friends started to come in and be part of my day, that's when it becomes different. The best things in life are those that happen in such stupefaction that you are swept away by the moment no matter how effortless they could be. Good company is somewhat scarce in our time today. I'm glad I have mine.

Khmer Country

2008-11-24T16:02:00.006+08:00

So many variables have almost prevented me from making this trip. It's funny how things that are meant to be fall into place in the most unexpected of ways. I'm happy to be here.

Pitikmata

Not Quite Christmas

Many Waters, Many Dreams

Hello 2012

A Symptom of Nature

10 Things I've Assimilated As I Shot David Beckham

Center Court

Structured Clutter

Under the Lord's Shadows Photo and Multimedia Exhibit

Manakin

Tainted Activism

A Morning with the Iron Butterfly

Agree to Disagree

Pacquiaoan Na

Invisible

Filipino Pride

A Placid Coexistence with the Departed

The Revillas Say Goodbye

Just Enough.. For Now

After the Twin Typhoons

Unusual Convenience

Through Whatever

That Ain't Right

Pedring's Wrath

Huxley Hits

Wet As Rain

The Manny Man

Just Jump

When the Lights Turn Red

Feeling a Moment

Words to Live By

Disremembrance

Reprezent

Shameless Plug

Just Smile

Bangaan

Seeing Red

Lunatic High

Vajayjay

Juvenile Nostalgia

Blood and Faith

Keeping it Real

Send in the Brides

Morning Glory

BLAGAG

Nathan Road

Back to the Suck

Bahaghari

Adios Mindanao

Vibrant Disposition

Good Morning Mindanao

Soloista

Time's Up

The Kid in Us

Pure Bliss

On Fire

Feast of the Black Nazarene

Disappearing Act

Heaven On Earth

Olongapo Night Life

STRIP 2010 : A documentary exhibit by Tammy David, Jake Verzosa and Veejay Villafranca

On Hiatus

Black Nazarene Two Days Ago

Black Nazarene a Year Ago

Rumuroots

Flaring It Up

Lightstalking

Reuters Slideshow: Inside the Philippines

Carrying On

Pictures of the Year International

POYi Launches 67th AnnualPhotojournalism Competition

• "Call for Entries" set for release Dec. 8• Online registration and entry opens Dec. 18 • Deadline for entry uploads is Jan. 15

Don't Stop Helping

Ondoy Aftermath

Crap

Motown Lovin

Woof

Instant Souvenir

Jaded in Vientiane

In Acrid Memoriam

POYi Launches 67th Annual
Photojournalism Competition

• "Call for Entries" set for release Dec. 8
• Online registration and entry opens Dec. 18

• Deadline for entry uploads is Jan. 15