Photography: Revealed Again

Who would have thought that after years of forgetting photography and my passion to this art, I would have this rare chance of meeting Davao's premier photographer, Mr. Roland Jumawan. Last weekend he awakened the sleeping passion within. The passion that was gone. This may be a sign of something deep that is revealing again in my consciousness.

Long time ago, my grand father used to own a photo studio in Davao City. During those times, the studio was at its prime years. And so it was named Uno Studio. Meaning, number one or first. It was considered to be the best photo studio in town. Students from different schools had their graduation pictures taken from Uno Studio, prominent families had their family portrait taken in this best photo studio in town. With its glory, it was not far from its name.

That glory was contributed by my grand father who was a professional photographer, and so was my dad who happened to be his apprentice. The passion for this art runs through our blood. With their passion and knowledge in this business Uno Studio became the most famous photo studio in town. In the advent of the rise of innovation of colored photography, Uno Studio was competing very well in the market. My grand father invested on such printing machines thinking of good revenues from it. Unfortunately, during the late 80's, the studio was razed to ash from a fire that broke out. After that event, the business went bankrupt and everything fell down like the ashes gone by the wind. The family went to a series of financial crises and failed to open the studio again. Another occupant occupied the space. Since then the location of the studio is currently occupied by Mercury Drug in Claveria St. (C.M. Recto St.)

Except for the memories and the two set of analog SLR cameras complete with accessories, nothing was left. The Nikon SLR was given to my aunt, who kept it for years and with it was the memory of the glorious years of Uno Studio. My late grand father left a strong remark after he lost his eyesight not to sell the cameras. My aunt however, sold it to buy medicines for my ailing grand mother.

The Pentax SLR was given to my dad, who was an amateur photographer. He kept it for until he gave it to me last year 2001. He saw in me the blood of a photographer and taught me his secrets in photography. During those days, digital photography was not that famous. And so I sought for ways how to learn photography without spending a lot for developing and printing. And so I joined our school's organ. I went to attend seminars conducted by Mr. Rene Lumawag, premier and authority of photography in Davao City. Since then, I made private studies on the art, and after four years I left it.

I left it for good. I also lost the camera that was the symbol of our family enterprise. It was gone without a trace. My passion for photography went away with the loss of my SLR.

It takes one to know one, so does my friend say. A photographer understands his co-photographer. During that encounter with a pro, he told me that indeed photography runs in my blood. And so he awakened in me that passion again which I know that deep within me is the reality that this art runs through my veins. And I want to continue that legacy from my grand father and my dad. So this time, I'll be saving a fraction of my income to purchase a new SLR, this time a digital one!

Circulus Vitiosus: A Laborers Reflection on the Ideals of Work

Way back in college, I could remember these words uttered by my professor in Logic. He said that this is a fallacy in reasoning in which the premise is used to prove the conclusion, and the conclusion used to prove the premise. I did not understand him, and I did not take that course seriously. I regret my decision. Among all philosophy subjects that I took, only in this course can I say that I failed.

So much for my college days and back here in the present. As in college, these words are still revolving around my present consciousness. Not in the context of Logic but in the context of labor. Currently I am working, and as an employee we are mandated (mandatum) to follow certain policies, in our case the so-called Norms and Values, which I think is relative and has a lot of loop-holes open for different interpretations. With this we are taught who is an employee and how can we be good employees, not only to this company but in the entirety of our life as a laborer.

Although we have this as our back bone, we still do consider our individuality as a person both individual and social in nature. We are new to this set-up and together with them, we bring with us our own culture of working that makes us a contingent being. And because of this contingency, we make good and 'bad' decisions (the company say that your decision is bad though they just don't understand what made it bad, and they never try to listen).

They say that a good decision would benefit yourself and the company, the former would not benefit neither the company nor your individuality. With this definition in mind, we start to reform ourselves. Look at the people around us, see how they work and how they set up their minds to meet that goal. Then we joined together and support each other. We had workshops and endless meetings and conferences. It proved to be effective, but not for long.

There is a problem in bringing in the virtue of consistency. They failed to be consistent in their words and actions. Thus showing us inconsistencies. And blaming us to the fault at which they are responsible for. This is not a way of passing someone's fault to the other. This however, is a way of expressing realities and pulling down the ideals to what is real. Unless they take that inconsistencies away we revolve again to this vicious circle, not just once, twice, but over and over again.

And now we are here in this vicious circle, the circle that is turning our minds and hearts away from the goal. We again go back to the reality of how we do work, and how we conduct ourselves in the workplace. Fortunately there are a few who were taught to reflect, to bend back the phenomenon that is happening around our existential nature. into the silence of our person We go back because we are in the abyss of reality. The reality that is telling us the truth and not just the ideals of labor.

In college, I failed to understand Circulus Vitiosus. In the present, I still failed to understand. And yet, I am experiencing and is a part of it.

-danielangelolao

My Encounter With Noynoy Aquino

The election "carnival" has come to Davao City. A lot of Davawenyos are thirsty for these events and as candidates flashed their colorful banners, sounded their trompas, and waived their hands... The Carnival is set..!

I heard the news of the visit of the Liberal Party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino, mar Roxas and the rest of their party. I was with my mom in a shopping mall when I texted a friend of the whereabouts of the motorcade. And to my surprise, people inside the mall is also asking the same question to their friends... From that I decided to convince mom to join me and watch the motorcade.

We went to R. Castillo St. and waited for the motorcade to pass. So far it was the longest motorcade I had ever witnessed. on the streets were people wearing yellow shirts, yellow ribbons, yellow flaglets, and of course names of Noynoy and Mar All The Way!
the spirit of hope was there within us. Though I only saw videos and images of EDSA People

Power 1 I knew right there and then, that the spirit of EDSA has come to Davao City. Cries of hope were shouted by the people on the street as they waited for the presidentiable to arrive.
Then a lot of cars joining the motorcade, more than 200 of them, were buzzing the horns are they continue to show their support by waving the Laban sign. People were on top of the Agdao Fly Over were throwing yellow confetti and waving the banners of Noynoy Aquino.

At last after an hour of waiting, I received a text message saying that the convoy is only a kilometer away. Then senatoriables arrived, as people tried to stop their truck just to catch a glimpse and to shake the hands of these candidates... and yes, I was one of them.

I also saw some of my doctor friends who joined the motorcade. They were all wearing their own shades of yellow. I showed them the Laban Sign and with my banner I shouted Noynoy! They opened their windows and waived the ir hands on me...

Finally the moment has come, the person most awaited by the people passed through our way... People of all classes dashed through the streets and waived their hands to Sen. Noynoy Aquino and Sen. Mar Roxas. The voice of our Mayor Duterte endorsing the Liberal party was a sure sign that Davao City has become a Noynoy Country.

Immediately, I joined the crowd in waiving their hands and giving the Laban sign. I was left all alone by the crowd moving towards the convoy. Little did they know, that my place on that street was an opportunity for me to personally greet Noynoy and shake his hands. Overwhelmed by his presence, and the spirit of the people, I was almost (I say almost) moved into tears when I saw him holding a baller band (the one worn in the arms) as his truck approached my post. I jumped for joy, as I shouted Noynoy and raised my banner high enough for him to notice me. And because I was alone in that area, he noticed me.

Eye to eye we met, and he smiled at me... He handed over his baller band and I immediately accepted it... I was so happy when he personally gave me that baller band. And now I am wearing it with full of hope and faith, that someday our nation will achieve the freedom that we only thought is in our dreams.

"Within this baller band lies the story of my hopes and aspirations for the Filipino people. And I will never stop sharing this story to the people I know, and convince them to vote Noynoy Aquino for our President.

-danielangelolao

My Return To My Blogging World

For quite a time I resorted to blogging as a way of documenting the streams of experiences gushing forth in my life. I was really thankful for the help of my friend, a doctor, in patiently teaching me the secrets of blogging. Now she's in training for two-years and I am left alone.

I left blogging too. A lot of events happened since the last time i posted a blog. But none of them were written.
Here are some:

March 2009 My sister had dengue, a very traumatic experience for us in the family.

May 2009 Dad left home.

May 28, 2009 somebody stole my hard earned money.

September 2009 I felt the urge to resign.

December 2009 I almost died of a car accident.

My sister, again, underwent appendectomy (surgery to remove her appendix) Another family tragedy.

I even forget some of the events.

Now it is 2010, I am broke and very much indebted. This will continue till the end of this year.

But where was I during those moments. All the while I thought that this laptop is an avenue to escape the thoughts of reality and place it in a record of the past, awaiting to be visited again and be dealt with by a ready heart. I failed to do it. I failed to document those events. I value so much the habit of journal writing. But I failed. Maybe I was just alienated from myself, society and my soul because of the busy-ness of capitalistic thinking? or was I just a piece of a dead fish following the flow of the river?

Whatever that happened to me, I apologize to my self.

Another thing, Now it is April, not the usual year-opener blog. But I would like to formally announce my return to the blogging world.