a jeepney photo op

Taken on my way to Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. An area with a very high crime rate (some of my friends told me it’s now the new Tondo – a place famous for its notoriety).

You’ve got to have enough courage or stupidity to bring out a camera as big as mine and take photo of a guy this size and at arms length away.

Have lots of it – stupidity, I mean. So I brought out mine and shoot anyway.

“Kinukunan mo ba ko pre?” (are you taking a picture of me?), he said without smiling.

“Oo pre, hobby lang” (yes, my hobby)

“Bakit ‘di mo sinabi?" (why didn't you say so?), he said it with an angry look.
i looked at him and was thinking hard what to say.

"Next time sasabihin mo para maka-pose ako.” (Next time you should tell me so I can pose for you), he then gave a very friendly smile. I smiled back and was really relieved.

Everybody in the jeepney was smiling as I took a couple more shots.


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a jeepney photo op (the continuation)

"o pose na. isa pang kuha" (ok pose now. i'll take another shot) i told him as i start to fix my cam.

"yan ganyan, sasabihin mo" (that's it. you should tell me), he replied, smiling at me.

he gave this smile....i smiled back in surprise.
after taking a photo, i showed him the shot through my cam.

"t _ _na, ang guwapo ko ah" (@#*&$, i'm so handsome), he burst.
"tingnan niyo kuha ko...parang artista!" (look at my photo, i look like a movie actor), he said to the rest of the people in the jeepney. i then showed it to them.

they were all praises of him. agreeing, almost in unity, that he is really handsome.

well, with his built and his look....and inside a jeepney, who wouldn't.

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the guy's name is Arthur


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election beauty

"kuya ako din kunan mo....yung solo." (brother take a photo of me as well....solo), this election volunteer said with a very sweet smile.
Of course I obliged. I'll shoot that sweet smile anytime of the day and any day of the week.

I took a couple of shots and showed it to her from my cam. She called her friends for them to see as well. You could see that she was so happy with the results.

"kuya send mo sa email ha?" (brother make sure that you'll send it through email, ok?), asking for assurance.

"sige ise-send ko. mamaya mismo." (yes i'll send it. i'll send it right away), i assured their group.

I then went my way shooting some election photos in the area. I'd see them wave to me everytime we cross our eyes in the area. I'll wave back as if I've known them for years.


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free photo

"kuya libre ba yan? (brother is that for free), referring to the photos i am taking during the election. i was roaming around the voting area with my camera when her group - volunteers all, inquired if i'm from a newspaper agency.

"kuya kung libre yan, kunan mo naman ako noh" (brother if that's for free, would you take a photo of me), as she giggled along with her friends.

"oo ba....bigyan ko kayo ng copy o kung gusto niyo ay email ko sa inyo" (sure...i'll give you a copy or if you wish, i can email it to you). she then did a lot of funny poses while her friends were laughing out loud.

"kuya, nakuha ko na yung photo....ang gaganda nga! salamat ng marami ha." (brother i got the photos already. they really are beautiful. thanks a lot), said an offline message from her yesterday.

i can just imagine the same sweet smile as she saw their shots from her computer.


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glasses

He was there sitting on a bench at Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila as I was buying some snacks (fried squid). I brought out my camera and took some quick snaps of him from a good distance.



Note: click the photo to view the large size and details of this image.
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quezon memorial circle at night

The Quezon Memorial Circle

read about it (Wikipedia)

Note: click the photos in this site to view it large

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junior's plight

Junior works in a factory 6 days a week from 10pm up to 7am in the morning. He earns 4,500 pesos for a month’s work (less than $100). In a month’s time, he’ll find himself without a job because his 6-month contract will soon expire.

Contractualization has become the main form of labor in the Philippines. It has deprived workers of their right to job security, work benefits and right to join unions and organizations. Studies say that workers on contractual basis has rose to 80% of the labor force.

The most famous and biggest chain of department stores in the Philippines – SM department store, employs only 4,000 regular employees and around 20,000 workers on contractual basis – with employment contracts lasting only 3 to 5 months.

The rampant use of contractualization and labor flexibility schemes by capitalists have caused the disbandment of hundreds of labor unions.

Without any law to govern contractualization in the country, and no right to participate in labor organization -if there's any- in their factory, Junior and thousands more like him would continue to embrace the fangs of contractual labor.

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