by Genno Gabriel Rabaya | October 19, 2023
Silliman University (SU) students ranked as top three for photography in the first Smithsonian Civil Society Certification Workshop, “PITIK: Lens of Society, Portraits of Change,” on Oct 7.
Maria Fiona Labucuas, a bachelor of science (B.S.) in accountancy student, and Yasmin Mamugay, a B.S. in business administration major in financial management student, placed second and third in the photography category, respectively.
Labucuas, claiming that photography is an “art of storytelling,” wanted to tell the stories of Dumaguete City public market vendors.
“I wanted to capture their hard work, their consistent perseverance, and the great sacrifices they make for their families,” she said.
Labucuas also said that PITIK taught her how to use the art of photography and videography to call for action.
“The gear and equipment do not matter, as long as we have the passion for it. Anyone can be a visual storyteller with a purpose,” she said.
The three-day workshop covered topics on using digital photography and videography as tools for civic engagements.
Sixteen individuals from Dapitan, Siquijor, Iloilo, Manila, Kabankalan, and Negros Oriental joined the workshop.
Relyn Tirambulo-Tayko, SU American Corner (AC) Coordinator, said that the facilitators selected the participants based on their interest and willingness to complete the program regardless of where they came from.
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Francis Ryan Pabiania, event facilitator and photojournalism speaker, said the workshop focused on telling stories and connecting to communities through photography and videography.
“We wanted this to empower a lot more of the youth or the people [and] the communities to consider that individual contributions are really significant in supporting broader national efforts to develop the concept of civil society,” he said.
