It’s a new experience for me to see the fluvial procession of the Sto. Nino in Batangas City, but I was not there during the main event, I just absorbed the entire event by viewing the photo entries posted in the photo exhibit in SM City Batangas. It’s a photo contest organized every year by the local government of Batangas City, the main theme here is that the photographer participant should capture the great moments of the fluvial procession of Sto Nino. It’s a different procession not taking place on the ground, but it took place on the Calumpang River in Batangas City. Also Batangas is celebrating their annual fiesta in the early weeks of January for their patron image, and it also considered as the 1st day of novena.
The fluvial procession is to do a tribute and also re-enactment on how the Sto Nino of Batangan arrived in the river of Batangas City via the Calumpang River. According to the statement of the local parish of the Basilica in Batangas the image was found on top of a floating drift wood on the river, and it is believed that the missing image of Sto Nino that was shipped to Cebu went back to Batangas after it stayed there during a storm. Traveling Sto Nino are similar to other stories that I heard from other patron image of other provincial cities. But I’m familiar with this kind of miraculous stories that Sto Nino do travel on their own. We have an old image of Sto Nino in our home, and its already 30 years old, according to my mom, the Sto Nino went missing and then later on found nearby inside the bark of a tree. So weird..
After I met the staff of SM City Batangas (Kristel, Darlene and the new marketing person), they ushered us to the main event and exhibit area at the atrium level of the mall, there I met the organizers and the invited judges.
Photo above from left to right : Bill Perez, project coordinator of the exhibit and contest and also owner of Kunst Gallery, artist Wilfredo Rufon, global visual artist Aris Bagtas (star of the event), and artist Bryan Yabut (who is also the graphic shirt designer for Dickies clothing)
you can check Aris Bagtas profile video here http://vimeo.com/25810566
Here are some photos during the judging session
Aris Bagtas checks out the photo entries
Some spectators joined the viewing while the judges are busy analyzing all the photo entries
The judges talk to each other in order to get other opinions of other judges for the color of the photos, if they are digitally manipulated or not.
The judges collaborate and discuss some of the effects and style of the photos,Aris Bagtas even mentioned that they are looking for the best photo with a story and also the one photographer who is flaming with passion when it comes to style, creativity and with artistic approach in taking the photos.
Here’s the replica of the Sto Nino of Batangan, it is colored black because according to the story of the parish that the Sto Nino survived in a fire when it was boarded in a sinking ship. I just heard this story from the people there. And I’m very impressed that the people of Batangas are very devoted to their patron image.
It was so hard for me to decide and search for my best bet for this photo contest, but I found out that one of my favorite was included in the special award.
here are some photo entries
The judging took long because they need to analyze the photos one by one and grade them according to a criteria provided by the organizers. I spotted lots of people already roaming around the exhibit, some of them even took photos of the entries, this shows how they are amazed on the shots of the photographer.
Its hard to determine the owner of the photos, because all entries are numbered from 1-50, according to Bill Perez,last year they received hundreds of photo entries.
Some of the photographers who joined the contest were spotted there with their family.
Ribbon cutting time!
The event was opened to the public and the program started after the judging was finished
Bill Perez, project coordinator of this activity opened the event with some words about the contest and the activity.
Ed Borbon, Batangas City’s Cultural Affairs of the local government
Enzo Luna and me were called on stage to share our insights about the exhibit
Aris Bagtas also shared his insights and thoughts about the photo contest
here’s me. photo c/o Enzo Luna
check Enzo’s post here at http://www.juanmanilaexpress.com/2013/01/12/sm-city-batangas-hosts-awarding-of-winners-of-batangas-city-photo-contest-and-childrens-art-exhibit-2013/
Here are the trophy and medal design for the winners and special award
Trophy for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner
This guy won three award, two award for him, he also got the 1st place winner, and the other award goes to his brother.
Everyone crowded to the exhibit area just to check out the photo of the winners
Here are the winners
Special awards
Here’s the grand winner! named Roger.
The other winner just arrived and he got in time for the photo op
Here’s a scene of Bryan Yabut signing Enzo’s Dickies shirt, it was a coincidence that Enzo wears the shirt that was designed by Bryan 2 years ago
Signature of Bryan on Enzo’s shirt
We ate our lunch at Chowking in SM City Batangas, we went there all together after the awarding of winners, there we got a great time in knowing all the guest artist and judges of the photo contest, I learned a lot about Aris Bagtas, the global visual artist,painter and mural artist, I didn’t know that he’s famous abroad.
We got a free artwork from Aris Bagtas, he drew it in just 10-15 minutes while we are having some nice funny chats, his gallery coordinator Bill Perez mentioned to us that his painting are sky rocketing with a price of P100,000 and more, here we got an artwork drawn with a craypass in a sandpaper, this artwork is valued P16,000. Oh wow!!! this is nice and its my 1st time to meet a painter who made one artwork infront of me and got it for free. Me and Enzo are so happy and we decided to frame this and hang it at home. Thanks Aris!!!
I’ll blog soon about Aris Bagtas and also feature his artwork and also the on the spot drawing that he made for us
congratulations to all participants and winners of the photo contest-exhibit.
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