Al Rasheed wins Wild in the Parks

Text by: Kimmy Baraoidan Photos by: Chris Quintana and Kimmy Baraoidan “Fear no forecast. Boards shall roll in rain or shine,” said the announcement on the Volcom Facebook page. The Wild in the Parks skateboarding competition was delayed twice because of thunderstorms. Backyard Skatepark in Sta. Rosa Laguna, is an open-air venue, and it was…

On the road again: Bangkok

Photos and text by: Sonny Yabao Playing tourist in this modern city is no big deal. In an age when everybody takes pictures with a cellphone, you no longer stand out in a crowd even with a big SLR around your neck. Only a sleepy dog lazing in the sun on the pavement would dare…

Lenten lucid dreams

Photos by: Sonny Yabao Text by: Kimmy Baraoidan Is this real or just a dream? I thought when I saw these images of Sonny Yabao that he took during this year’s Lent. His photos always have a dreamlike quality to them. And most of the time these dreamlike images border on nightmares, which would haunt…

An offering of Pabasa

Text and photos by: Chris Quintana "Yeah, take me to the old church," I told the tricycle driver on the way to the fishing village of San Antonio in Bay, Laguna. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to see tourists there, I thought to myself, the village being a quiet fishing community, though it is…

Hugas Dugo: Staying true to their legacy

Text by: Kimmy Baraoidan Photos by: Chris Quintana and Kimmy Baraoidan Every Good Friday, most places become ghost towns, but Pakil, a sleepy town on an ordinary day, comes to life. The town plaza is teeming with tourists from all over and with vendors selling almost everything from religious charms to animal-print leggings. Walking around…

More than crosses and wounds

Text and photos by: Dax Simbol For the past five years, during Good Fridays, I have followed a group of women in the little known village of Talaga in Capas, Tarlac. They are the Magdarame, mourners or sympathizers of penitents who walk barefoot, clad in all black or sometimes in the traditional maroon Nazareno-like outfits,…

Fronds for Palm Sunday

Text by: Kimmy Baraoidan Photos by: Chris Quintana and Kimmy Baraoidan Palm Sunday marks the start of the Lenten season in the Philippines. Every year, Catholic churches are packed with churchgoers who would hear mass and would have their palaspas blessed by the priest. During this day, vendors litter the sidewalks next to the churches…

Showering the faithful

Text and photos by: Bart Manoguid Considered as one of the largest gathering in a religious event, the last mass of Pope Francis during his 5-day papal visit to the Philippines was attended by 6 million Catholics. It was raining the whole day, but it did not stop people from wanting to see the Pope…

No videoke in Cagbalete

Text and photos by: Sonny Yabao It was only when we pitched our tent and cooked dinner and opened a bottle of brandy did we hear singing voices with the familiar electronic sound in the background a few meters away. It’s paradise lost again, I thought. But then our loud conversations did seem to drown…