Two of my photos recently appeared on Crescent Hopes, a small book published by the Ayala Foundation. The book delves in detail about the Bangsamoro Young Leaders Program- Leadership Communities which aim to uplift the lives of the people of ARMM by recruiting young people to enact sustainable programs.

SULU SUNSET TAKEN FROM THE MARINES CAMP IN PATIKUL

It tracks the progress of the first batch of fellows chosen by the foundation who spearheaded projects in the five provinces of ARMM and the changes they have imparted in their communities. From the Yakan weaving and dried fish processing in Basilan, crab farming and Inaul weaving in Maguindanao, a boat project that ferries students and transports fishes in Tawi-Tawi, coffee farming in Sulu, and marketing the palapa condiments in Lanao Del sur.

Sweet violin notes fill the room as giant pawikans swim through the background of a restaurant somewhere in Makati City.
   
We were at the Sage Bar in Shangrila and I can’t help but feel overwhelmed (and underdressed) as the who’s who of Philippine society started to pour in. It was the launching of Eastgate Publishing’s (the same guys that do the legendary Mabuhay Magazine) Best of the Best Philippines coffee table book.

BEST OF THE BEST PHILIPPINES COFFEE TABLE BOOK LAUNCH AT THE SHANRILA MAKATI

So what was I doing here again? With my typical printed black shirt, black trek pants, and muddy trail shoes?

Actually, I was invited here (imagine that), not to write about the event but to simply attend it since I actually have a few photographs tucked inside the pages of the said book.

BEST OF THE BEST PHILIPPINES COFFEE TABLE BOOK

That book, the Best of the Best Philippines, is a compilation of what makes Philippine tourism tick. It features all the best places to visit in the country, complete with cute caricature maps, excellent travel write ups, and of course, gorgeous photographs.

MY CORON PHOTO ON ONE OF THE DISPLAY STANDS

Shangrila’s Sage bar was actually decorated with prints displayed on easels as part of the book launching. One of my photographs was lucky enough to be displayed with some of the best in the book.

I so wanted to bring it home haha.

MY PHOTO OF A CHURCH IN ILOCOS NORTE

The project came about as Eastgate Publishing’s head honcho decided to make the definitive Philippine tourism coffee table book. He pitched the idea to the Department of Tourism and it probably got green lighted faster than piso fare flights get booked.

MY PEARL FARM PHOTO

I have to give credit to Hannah Reyes, the penultimate crush ng bayan for travel bloggers, for referring me to the Mabuhay peeps. It’s every photographer’s dream to have their images printed on a very nice (and heavy) coffee table book.

MY UNDERWATER PHOTO IN CORON

A few of my photos from Ilocos Norte, Samal Island, and Coron made it into the book. It would’ve been nice to have a few more inserted, but with the likes of Hannah Reyes and Paco Guerrero gracing its pages, I guess I would have to wish some more.

A SPREAD OF MY CORON PHOTO

It’s good enough that one of my submissions made it as the spread for the Coron chapter of the book. A whole dang spread. And for Coron too! One of my favorite places of all time.

I’m all good. I’m easy to please that way.

And yes, more wine please!

INSTANT INSTAGRAM PRINTS AT THE EVENT

And oh yeah, Best of the Best Philippines is now available at your favorite bookstores for ₱2,500.00, a price normal for coffee table books. It is an amazing book even with its slightly prohibitive price tag. If you have some cash to spare, do buy me one and I’ll treat you to a bucket of beer. :)

Some months ago, we visited a village in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City lined with cute little Dutch houses painted in white and blue. It’s hard to picture the place as being one of the largest slum areas in the city during the past decades.

Bagong Silang has now been rehabilitated with housing projects from Gawad Kalinga, changing not only the physical aspect of the community but also its general attitude towards life itself. When before there was only chaos and disorder, there is now good vibes and hope.

“I woke up as the sun was reddening; and that was the one distinct time in my life, the strangest moment of all, that I didn’t know who I was…I was far away from home haunted and tired with travel, in a cheap hotel room I’d never seen, hearing the hiss of steam outside, and the creak of the old wood of the hotel, and footsteps upstairs and all the sad sounds, and I looked at the cracked high ceiling and really didn’t know who I was for about fifteen strange seconds. I wasn’t scared, I was just somebody else, some stranger, and my whole life was a haunted life, the life of a ghost… I was halfway across America, at the dividing line between the East of my youth and the West of my future, and maybe that’s why it happened right there and then that strange red afternoon.”

Much has already been said about the modern masterpiece that is On the Road but I barely know anything about it before finally being given a copy as a birthday gift. I’ve been a book fan since forever and my usual choice of books usually revolve on horror, science fiction, fantasy and whatnots. I’ve never picked up a book about travelling even once, not knowing such kinds of books exists at all.

So there I was, giddy as a highschool kid, after finally having my hand on the rough covers of On the Road after more than a year of looking for it. I usually read in the bus on the way to and from work, and imagine my surprise when I opened the pages and found a never-ending flow of texts inside.