Viva Nazareno!!!

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | 5 photos

Every 9th of January, a side of crowded but uniquely beautiful Manila, Philippines called Quiapo celebrates the feast of the Black Nazarene. This dark wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ carrying his cross is being held in procession by millions of devotees to its shrine in the Minor Basilica in Quiapo.

The sight was indeed never short of overwhelming. People from all walks of life, the children, the old, the incapacitated, the rich, the poor, the celebrities, the politicians—all barefoot, wearing maroon and bringing their own wishes and praises, they all came and paid homage to the Nazarene.

This feast goes beyond the mere veneration of the sculpture, we, the Filipino people, embraced by everyday poverty and infinite struggles and difficulties of life has to cling on to something permanent and transcendental – HOPE! The image of Christ carrying the cross gives us strength, gives us hope that nothing is permanent, with the grace of God, we will overcome anything.

I believe that timeless photography should not only show the aesthetic aspects of life, I believe that it should show the authentic culture and ways of life of the people, capture it and share it to the rest of the world or the next generations to see.

I am a boring auditor who came half way around the world to pursue the same boring job. Waking up every morning and doing the same stuff drains the passion in my soul – just by writing this essay and preparing my photos for the contest has immensely lightened up my spirit and rekindled my dying flame of HOPE—that I will have the chance to really do what I love to do-photography and writing.

Winning this scholarship will definitely give me the Hope, I know I am born to inspire people through my pictures, I just need the opportunity to do it!