Quezon City showcase works of country’s leading photojournalists

Text by Joe Torres, former PCP Chair
Photographs by Jire Carreon, PCP member

The Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines (PCP), in partnership with the Quezon City Photographers Guild (QCPG) and the local government of Quezon City, held a photo exhibition as part of the celebration of National Arts Month in February 2023. 

“This is an opportunity not only to showcase the works of the country’s leading photojournalists but to enhance the appreciation of the public of visual communication,” said Jimmy Domingo, PCP chairman. 

Close to a hundred printed photographs were displayed at the Quezon Memorial Circle starting Friday, February 24, while more images taken from various places in the country were shown on screens around the exhibit areas inside the Circle.

The event opened on Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a short program. Honorable Joy Belmonte, Mayor of Quezon City was invited to lead the ceremonies and was represented by Mr. Winston Bueno, administrator of Quezon Memorial Circle. 

There were talks on the practice of photojournalism, including a sharing on “Social Media and Photojournalism” by multimedia producer and video strategist EC Toledo of PhilStar.com.

Two photowalks, wherein participants took photographs inside the Quezon Memorial Circle under the guidance of mentors, were led by veteran documentary photojournalist Luis Liwanag, a member of the Board of PCP, and assisted by other members of PCP.

Aside from students and campus journalists from Quezon City schools, artists and photographers joined the activities. 

On Friday, February 24 in the morning, Fernando Sepe Jr of ABS-CBN News talked about photojournalism and visual storytelling and on Saturday, February 25, Domingo delivered a lecture on fundamentals of photojournalism for campus photojournalists and School publication advisers of Quezon City. The specific activity was endorsed by the Department of Education Division of Quezon City. 

The PCP is a duly registered non-profit and non-stock organization of working photojournalists established in 1997. It aims to help professionalize the practice of photojournalism in the country and it carries the central slogan: “Professionalism in Photojournalism.”