I was very flattered when Ka Lito Beltran of the Federation of Philippine Photographer Foundation (FPPF) asked me to be a judge in their monthly competition which had the theme "Buhay Kalye" (Street Life). It was humbling to judge photographs that encapsuplated the essence of living in the streets of Metro Manila.

Here’s an article about the April 2006 photography competition:

Street Life captured on film

Walking down the narrow streets of

Manila

will never be the same again after viewing the street scenes captured by photographer-members of the Federation of Philippine Photographer Foundation (FPPF).

United under the theme “Buhay Kalye,” representatives of more than 15 camera clubs from all over the Philippines converged in Comfoods Building last April 29 to participate in the monthly photo contest organized by the FPPF.

The stark black and white photographs feature grimy street hawkers of

Manila

as well as rustic pictures of an urban setting. Many of them offer unusual perspectives of mundane activities of informal settlers striving to exist in an increasingly congested city. Standing out from the pack were ten photographs adjudged to be the best by three jurors: Ed Santiago, a veteran photo-journalist; Revoli Cortez, formerly a photographer of the Philippine Star and now a freelance photographer; and Jocelyn Dimaculangan of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

First Prize Photograph in Buhay Kalye 2006

Landing third place was the entry of Boyet Guevarra (Camera Club: Nayon) featuring several karitons neatly lined up on one side of a street while second place went to Teddy Pelaez (Camera Club: SLR) for his heart-tugging photograph of a woman begging for alms in a crowded street. Receiving the first prize and a trophy was Tony Yu of the Camera Club Nayon for his candid shot of a young child taking a bath in a public place.

My bet (landed in 6th Place)

Yet another favorite photo (landed in 8th Place)

Boasting of photography clubs that come as far as Zambales and Ilocos, the FPPF has been conducting thematic monthly photo contests that serve as eliminations for the annual PhotoWorld Cup, a much-coveted prize among Filipino photographers. Established in 1996 under the wing of the FPPF, the PhotoWorld Cup enables members of duly-accredited camera clubs to compete and hone their skills in the art and science of photography.

The regular competitions are conducted monthly from February to November, with the themes predetermined beforehand by the PhotoWorld Cup committee. The upcoming themes are: Travel (May 2006); Lupang Hinirang (June 2006); Kitchen Art (July 2006); Contrast or the striking difference between things being compared (August 2006); Food photography (September 2006); Dark or photography in low-light conditions (October 2006); and photos featuring the number Ten (November 2006).

Photographer-members of FPPF earn for themselves, and their respective camera clubs, points that will be tallied by the end of the year to determine which club will receive the “Best Photography Club award” as well as P15,000 cash prize and the silver PhotoWorld Cup. Individual members also vie for the title of “Top Photographer of the Year” which comes with a trophy.

By the end of the year, the performance of the various accredited camera clubs will be assessed by the PhotoWorld Cup committee in order to determine which one will receive the award for the “Most Improved Camera Club of the Year.” Another minor award to be given away by the FPPF is the title of “Rookie of the Year,” which is reserved for the most promising individual photographer who has made an impressive first year performance.

Since 1987, the FPPF has been advocating for the upliftment of Philippine photography and the welfare of Filipino photographers. This non-stock, non-profit organization encourages cooperation rather than competition among fractious photography associations – of which the

Philippines

has more than enough.

One of the FPPF’s most-awaited activities is the Photoworld Manila, which is considered to be the biggest and longest running photography convention and trade show in the country. It is held annually from January to February and attracts the country’s leading photo importers, distributors, and dealers to offer their products with substantial discounts.