Rough Groove

Around Mindanao, 2 - Dapitan church

Left, the Church of St. James which was built by the Jesuits in 1883 where Jose Rizal goes to for Sunday mass. Its an imposing edifice with few embelishments on its facade and lords it over the plaza. Right, the interior of the church with its mesmerizing cieling.

Left, the place where Rizal usually stands during mass. Right, unlike other churches which hosts a population of bats, this one have swifts making there nests.

Around Mindanao, 1 - Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte

First few weeks of October and I landed in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte for the start of my Mindanao leg for my assignment on Philippine churches. It has been years since I’ve been to this place. The last time I was here was when I was still based in Davao and I visited this city while doing some work in Dipolog.
The plane landed to a rather wet Monday morning brought about by a passing typhoon that I was quite worried that my planned shoot would be ruined by bad weather. Anyway, as I was already there, I really didn’t have much choice but to hope for the best. The city is really charming and cozy. Life is kind of slow, streets are wide and clean and generally peaceful. There are a few ancestral houses near the plaza and one is constantly reminded that this is also a city steeped in history with no less than Jose Rizal, the national hero, spent 4 years as an exile here.

Left, the relief map of Mindanao in front of the century old church. This was made by Rizal when he was exiled here. Right, one of the imposing ancestral house, the Corazon de Dapitan just a stone’s throw from the plaza.

Since a typhoon just passed when I came here, the sea was rough and brown with sediment from the river. A man, left, is holding a bag with shells that he has gathered.

Made it to the Angkor Photofestival contest

Just when I got disappointed that I didin’t make it to the 2006 Angkor Photofestival’s free workshops that just opened last 25 November in Siem Reap, Cambodia, due to full slots, one of my photo and a documentary made it instead to the Flickr contest that qualified in the top 100!

The photo projection will be done this Thursday, 30 November and the photos judged the best three will receive prizes.

Left, photo of Enicka, my niece, that qualified in the single photo while, right, my photodocumentary of the Semana Santa also made it.

A trip to Vigan, 7

I thought that I’ve already uploaded this one but upon recheck of my photos for this blog, forgot it. Anyway…

Crisolog St. in Vigan City is the primary tourist destination in this UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also where the most well preserved ancestral houses in the city are located. However, its really quite a short walk and a known tourist trap.

Left, Crisolog St. during the day with calesas (horsedrawn carriages) plying the well maintained stone pavement. Right, At night, the ancestral houses are eeriely lighted and really looks creepy.

Shops catering to tourists also line this street. From the usual souvenir t-shirts, trinkets and what have you to, as what Sidney commented in my photoblog: “contemporary antiques” (right).

Once you finish your walk in this particular street and, for me, your Vigan trip ends.

Related posts:

A trip to Vigan, 1
A trip to Vigan, 2
A trip to Vigan, 3
A trip to Vigan, 4
A trip to Vigan, 5
A trip to Vigan, 6

Series 42: Around Mindanao

Around last October, I was in Mindanao for a series of photoshoots for the ongoing book project for 4 churches there in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte; Jasaan, Misamis Oriental; Jimenez, Misamis Occidental and Caraga, Davao Oriental. Such a very long and tiresome trip as I travelled from north to south in one week. This series shows the photos that I’ve been taking now ongoing at BINARY SILVER.