snakes,fires and coplay!!!

This is how I spend my 2013 Chinese New Year....


playing with fire

and shooting cosplay during a pre-nup :)

Happy Year of the Water Snake to all :)

a lot of first as the year ends...

...I reflect on some photos that made an impact in my 2012

Hala Bira!!

My first time in attending this colorful festival in Kalibo, Aklan. Ang saya maki sadsad hehe party all day and night in the streets is a good way to begin the year

A miner's life

I was given an opportunity to do a story on the small scale gold mining in Camarines Norte under the NGO Ban Toxic. Its a eye opener story about the dangers of the mines and their health risk in being exposed to mercury. This inspired me to do a long term story on this issue.

City of dancing lights

My lola and cousin travel Hongkong for 5 days its a tiring trip but worth it :)

Like a miniature city

Riyadh on top view my last photo of Saudi

Caramoan!!

Its like little Coron hehe its good to swim again  :)

Sustainable mining

The second part of the mining story is a small mining town called Gaang in Kalinga. Here the miners have been practicing mercury free mining for a year now. I really admire the effort of the Banao people in their high regards to health safety and protecting the environment. Hope to be back on this place next year even though the climb up there is sooooo harddd!!! hehe  its worth it especially if I'm able to take home something that is more than gold.

New hairdo ^_^

What can I say hehe got myself a new haircut and i love it!!

Wedding vows

The first wedding I've ever attended and its in India weeh!! Congrats my dear friend Nishant :)

Run for your lives!!

The first ever zombie run in the Philippines! Its exhilarating and full of thrills :) I'm planning to join next year as a runner hopefully I can survive it

Tour of the Firelies- Bike for Sustainable Energy!

My first time to bike around Metro Manila hehe so fun!!!

 Goddesses No More

I thank the Lord for giving me an opportunity to be part of the 8th Angkor Wat Photo Workshop. I was able to do a story of culture and to meet this beautiful and talented dancers. Kudos to the art of dancing!!

The Last Mambabatok

What good way to welcome the end of the world by making a story about the last mambabatok or traditional tattoo artist in Kalinga. More power to you and your art master Pangud!


As the year closes to an end I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Lord for giving me the gift of photography without it I won't be able to meet this amazing people :) Domo arigatou gozaimasu ^_^

ang pagbabalik...

After my 2 weeks absence from the craziness of Metro Manila I found myself covering 2 events that is definitely makes me feel like home :)

Goddesses No More...

The Apsaras are consider as celestial dancers, they are half women-half goddesses that performed at offering ceremonies and palace celebrations during the Angkorian Era. The elegant form of their fingers and circular movements of their hands symbolise their place between earthly groundedness and heavenly lightness.

Apsara dancing has undergo a lot of changes since the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. From an important motif in the walls of Angkor Wat it is now a part of tourist attraction where everyone can see in the streets of Siem Reap. The revolutionary transformation of this art is a proof that Cambodians value their art and culture in a way that they are proud to show it to the world.

This slideshow is a showcase on how the dance evolve in a way that the locals wanted it to share to people.

We will not forget!!

After 3 years still no justice to the biggest political crime in the country, the Ampatuan Massacre. About 153 coffins were carried during the procession yesterday of different media and militant groups to Mendiola.

When will this rallies and protest stop? When will be the justice for the families of the victims be served?........

Right to know! Now na!

Different civil society groups march to Mendiola to protest the lack of decision regarding the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill toady 12 November 2012. This bill is a landmark measure that will ensure the constitutional rights of the people to inforamtion and will ingrain the culture of transparency and accountability in the government.

at long last...

Finally the long wait is over...my diploma in photojournalism is here!!!

Shiawase :)

Welcome to Zombieland...

Adrenaline rush and a heart pumping way to welcome the Halloween...outbreak manila!! 500 zombies invaded Enchanted Kingdom to chase 9000 runners in this 3rd fun run event.

Runners move around the “zombified” amusement park and outrun hundreds of zombies, while keeping at least one life flag intact. Prior to the race, each runner will be given a belt with three red flags symbolizing a life. And no matter how scary it gets, runners and zombies cannot have physical contact at any time.

Inspired by Run For Your Lives, Outbreak Manila adds a whole new twist to the typical 5-kilometer run. Organizers say its goal is to come up with a race that stands out from all the rest by giving people a cause that they would really run for. And what better cause can there be than to run as if your life depended on it?
The organizers also say that Outbreak has set its sights on Cebu at Parkmall, Mandaue City on December 21,2012.

see full story on this site

Black Tuesday

It is only here in the Philippines wherein lawmakers pass laws that they haven't event read carefully what's in it tsk..tsk.. I don't know if these people are thinking or just plain stupid

After all the artsy fancy coverages I had  attended a flashmob activity of netizens in front of Supreme Court to protest the controversial Cyber Crime Law-RA10175 Despite the rain people still march to the gates with their black placards and black tapes on their mouth to call on the attention of the lawmakers to amend or dismiss completely the said law.

This law pose threat to netizens and suppress everybody's freedom of speech and privacy and now that it started to be implemented who knows if our prison cells will enough to fit the whole population of Metro Manila. Just plain stupid!

Art Days!!

Upon my returned from India I was swamped by coverages one after the other and the common theme of my assignments is: art :)

Skin Art

Its that time of the year again wherein tattoo artists from all over Asia and the US convene in the Philippines to showcase this unique form of art.

Performance Art

Kosupre(Cosplay) is a pop culture that started in Japan but growing bigger and more influencial in the Philippines. Its not only for the youth but its a form of family bonding.

Junk Art

Part of Manila Art expo is the Jeepney art festival is a showcase of different art works of jeepney from paintings to jeepney models that pays tribute to the icon of Philippine ingenuity and creativity.


Hehe I think I'm getting a hold of these lifestyle assignments ")

See story and photos on published work page

in transit...

A different world
People and places to see
It never stops

Responsible mining: Best Practice of the Banao Tribe

In the province of Kalinga lies the mining community called Gaang. Most of the people living in this town are from the Banao tribe, one of the gentlest tribe in the Mountain Province and a proud tribe of blacksmiths. They been mining for more than two decades now since the gold rush in the 80s. At first they use Mercury (Hg) for easy processing of gold but they notice the bad effects of it on their health and their rivers. Even a mercury seller for 15 years now gave up her business because of these effects

Since last year the Ban Toxics held a workshop for the miners about the non-mercury practice where all they need to do is to go back in the old processes by using sluice box, panning devices and just simple borax. At first they had a hard time adapting it because it takes more time to process the gold than just using mercury, but as time passes by they begin to see the benefits from it. They notice the high quality of gold that they got from this mercury-free method and they don't have to worry about getting sick anymore.

Its been a year now since the mining town of Gaang is practicing this mercury free method its still a challenge to implement it in other places but its a good start for everyone and a good sign that there is hope for a cleaner and safer future for the miners.

What Lies Beneath- a story on small scale mining in the Philippines

What Lies Beneath

The Philippine deposits of gold, copper, chromium and nickel are considered as the 5^th largest in the world. In 2009, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) estimated the country’s gold reserves at 5,080,785,289 tons, based accordingly on the bureau’s consolidation of resource inventory data supplied by mining companies. Forty provinces that have gold deposits practice different ways of mining gold that has been hand down from their ancestors since 3^rd century.[1]

The Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is very common to the rural areas of the Philippines because of the constant surge in the price of gold and easy way out of poverty. ASGM, which occurs in more than 70 countries, provides income to an estimated 10 - 15 million miners including 4.5 million women and 1 million children.[2] The sector produces about 500 to 800 tonnes of gold per annum, which accounts for about 20 to 30 percent of the world’s gold supply.[3] Despite of this, destruction of environment and human health is at stake.

The use of mercury (Hg) in ASGM posed a very dangerous threat to the health of the miners. It contains potent neurotoxin that impairs brain function, lowers intelligence and causes hearing loss. It also affects women in terms of miscarriages and birth defects. This element also destroys the environment by polluting freshwater bodies. Moreover, small scale mining practices such as the use of dynamite in making tunnels is one of the cause of landslides and degradation of the mountain.

This photo story will focus on the environment and health issues pose by the artisanal and small-scale gold mining practices in the Philippines and it will also showcase how the players such as the miners, townspeople and the government are dealing with it. My objective in making this story is to educate the people about the reality that small scale mining is dangerous but a kind of livelihood that is essential in the national development of the country. It aims to call on the attention of the government to regulate and supervise this kind of livelihood for the benefit of the miners and the companies.

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[1] Ban Toxics report: The price of gold, 2010

[2] Module 3, Mercury Training Module, United Nations Environment Programme, 2008

[3] Export Bans and Reducing Mercury Consumption in Artisana land Small Scale Gold Mining, Kevin Telmer, University of Victoria

day 212-207: Lenten Season in the Philippines

Last Good Friday I brought my colleagues in Kapitangan Paombong Bulacan to witness the annual flagellation and crucifixion of the devotees. As I watched them do all these forms of repentance I can't help myself but feel that everything is just for a show, a photo-op for media.

Is this what repentance or devotion mean?or is this a new form of tourist attraction?

Spare Baguio trees from greed and corruption!!

Save Baguio trees 2-day protest | Greenpeace Philippines

A very productive weekend indeed (photos by yours truly)

day 219-216: Fun Run!!!

Thousands of advocates from NGOs and community groups join the Anti-Coal Fun Run in Olongapo City organized by Sikad Subic a group that campaigns against the setting-up of coal fired power plants in the city.

day 235-230: Hala Bira!!

The mother of all Philippine festivals, Kalibo Ati-Atihan is consists of tribal dancing parade and ethnic music that accompanied by indigenous costumes and weapons. Its been observed every third Sunday of January in which people smear thmeselves of charcoal or any black substance to look like Aetas.

The name Ati-Atihan means "to be like Aetas" or "make believe ati's". It started at around 13th century wherein a group of Malay chieftains or "datus" fled from Borneo and accepted by the Ati's the early settlers in Panay Island. Its a celebration to seal a peaceful pact between two different races and cultures. It became a religious feast in 1750 wherein a companion priest of Fray Andres Urdaneta and explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi baptized in one day 1,000 inhabitants of the town and surrounding settlements in the place. Since then its been celebrated with masses and novenas to their Patron Saint Sto.Nino.

As time passes by,people add modern touch to the festival such as modern type of Ati-Atihan dance and used of creative masks instead of charcoals. The drum beats are also in tune of some pop music. But the spirit of the festival is still there and it became more lively with these new features. People from other provinces and even in Manila visit this place just to participate in the lively street dancing and witness the creativity of the costumes and props of the locals and the Aetas themselves. Many devotees are also flocking the church to attend the masses and novenas as they believe that they will be bless by the miraculous power of Sto.Nino.