Basilica of Santo Niño

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Philippines | Saturday, October 16, 2010 | 5 photos

These photos were taken at the Basilica of Santo Niño in Cebu, Philippines during
the 2010 Sinulog festival. Sinulog is an annual festival held in January in celebration
of the child Jesus known here as Santo Niño. The masses celebrated in these pictures are masses that culminate to the Grand Parade on the third Sunday of that same month. Devotees from around the country find their way to Cebu with their loved ones to participate the festival.

I am 23 years old and a 5th year Architecture student here in Cebu, Philippines. Ever since I was in high school, I have always loved Photography. I strongly believe that photography is a powerful tool that can be used in everything you do, whether it is to tell stories or to capture moments.

I am also a member of a local ornithological group named Cebu Ornithological Society (COS). I believe this scholarship will allow me to contribute more to the conservation efforts in our area through photos and skills I will learn, since we have 2 endemic birds in our island, the endangered Cebu Black Shama and the critically endangered Cebu Flowerpecker.

If chosen, I believe this once-in-a-lifetime, dream experience would be a really solid foundation not just to my photography but in everything I do later on. Aside from the mentoring, I would be able to learn about Bhutan's culture, its endemic flora and fauna, study its Architecture since regionalism in Architecture is a very important issue and I would love to learn about Bhutan’s.

I never had a formal training in photography and I believe this scholarship with sir Jason Edwards is invaluable. It would greatly develop me as a photographer and would continually be a source of knowledge and inspiration in everything I do in the future.