FACES OF ILIAN

Philippians 2:3-4

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

I was given a chance to visit Legaspi, Albay because of work. So armed with my ever reliable camera, I traveled down south anticipating to meet a lot of native people who will be happy to be my subject.

Since it was my first time there, I felt compelled to go to the Cagsawa Ruins to see the famous Mayon volcano at the same angle with those pictures I often see in books and postcards. I took a number of landscape shots, but I was not contented with my photos. Still, I was yearning to see faces of filthy children and the elderly that exude a strong character.

So I dragged my colleagues and asked around where to find tribes we could take pictures of. We were then informed that there is a tribe residing in the nearby town of Iriga, where people are friendly and approachable. Good thing, our work was extended for three more days so together with my co-workers, we started our adventure to search for that town. We went to the local’s department of tourism to ask for directions and to notify them of our intention in taking pictures of the tribe. We were warmly accommodated by the personnel and so we left the department very thankful and excited. Immediatly, we drove to the land of Ilians, which was located just fifteen minutes away from the town proper.

Before we went up to meet the them, we bought some goodies to give to the children of Ilian. When we have finally reached our destination, we saw the children suddenly stopped playing. All of them looked at our vehicle with a look that says, "Who are these strangers and what do they need from us?" We got out of the vehicle and looked for their leader. One lad gladly accompanied us to the house of their chief. When we arrived at his house, he was resting so the people needed to wake him up. We worriedly thought he would get annoyed because we bothered him from his sleep, but instead, he welcomed us and allowed us to take photos of the place and his people. Indeed, the chief was hospitable, living up to what Filipinos are known for.

When we were about to take pictures, the children were daunted by the size of our cameras. They immediately ran away and hid inside their homes. Their parents encouraged and reassured them that it was safe to mingle. After a while, the children stepped out one by one to have their pictures taken. Soon, they felt comfortable around us so they all followed us as we explored the tribe. We saw how the children of Ilian were joyfully living their simple lifestyle.

Time had passed very quickly and dusk swept away the light. Also, rain was about to fall so we decided to pack up. Before we left, I stood in the middle of their basketball court; and the children surrounded me as I distributed packs of candies, cookies, and chips.

Yes, meeting the Ilian tribe was truly pleasurable. The little money we have spent for goodies were paid off by heart-warming smiles of gratitude from little children; and not to mention – wonderful portraits of the Ilians. I have seen wonderful sceneries in Bicol that were picture perfect, but I must say the photographs we have captured with the Ilian tribe made our journey really worthwhile.

CHILDREN AT COASTAL ROAD

Matthew 18:4

"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven"

Last Sunday we had a photoshoot at Bulungan, Coastal Road, Paranaque City. We all met at SM Mall of Asia around 2pm and then convoyed our cars on our way to this wet market along coastal road. As soon as we parked our vehicles, a lot of children ran toward us and eagerly volunteered to guard the vehicles.

We spotted more of these friendly youngsters at the dock of the market, just a few steps away from the parking area. And as what adults expect from kids during free time, we found them playing and having fun. So without wasting a moment, we started taking pictures of these children, who unsurprisingly were very fond of being in front of the cam. They were playing non-stop, doing impressive stunts and unusual poses.

As we explored the marketplace, we discovered some kids who were hammering concretes, chopping woods and gathering scraps from a recently demolished squatters’ area. These kids were diligently helping their parents build a new place for shelter. Then as we went further inside, we saw a number of fishing boats docked nearby and fishermen carrying sacks of mussels. These mussels were eventually brought to laborers for cleaning. Small heaps of mussels filled a portion of the market and the cleaners sat beside their share. We learned that cleaning mussels is one way for these people to earn money, and to earn more, children at very young age were encouraged to help. We have noticed that these children have become experts of this craft – cleaning mussels with sharp scissors, that is – judging by their speed and manner of cleaning.

For merely half of a day, we saw the risks and the hardships these children face. We have realized that despite these, they can be genuinely happy and content.

And once again, we were reminded of how blessed we are…