The Other Side of Boracay

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

Philippines | Tuesday, July 2, 2013 | 5 photos

Since I graduated from college, I have been holed up in a room, editing films and TV shows. The job is quite lucrative and I need it to support myself and a younger sibling who's in college. It was OK, until I saw a viral video that challenges its viewers to do what they really love to do like money didn't matter. Since then, I have been itching to go on a long-term backpacking trip around the world - my camera in tow.

What I love about taking pictures is that it drives me to look at things through a different angle - literally and figuratively - in search of something different from what we see at a glance. It, thus, forces me to be always curious about things. And, in many struggling communities that I've been to, locals would rely on their visitors to help them by at least letting the world know their stories. But as someone whose native language is not English, words often fail me. So what I cannot tell in written form, I express through my photographs.

This scholarship is not only a chance for me to see the world. It is also a chance for me to improve my visual language and get the right skill so that I can confidently give back to the places I visit by sharing their stories to the world.