One Million Lights

Back in high school, my friend named Tricia Peralta told me about this organization she was working on with Mark Lozano. Now, it's this big thing wherein they've helped so many people in our country already. You can read more about them and see what they're doing on their Facebook page

Mark called me one day asking me if I wanted to volunteer as the photobooth photographer in their project before Christmas called Parol for a Cause. After being able to volunteer before in the Philippine Model Congress, I wanted to give it another try and learn. Plus, I really wanted to volunteer by making a parol beforehand, so being able to help in another way was a bonus!

The function room of St. James the Great Parish was slowly being filled by volunteers of many ages but mostly they were the youth. It was great seeing many people my age and even younger coming together towards a cause!

 Christmas music was playing in the background with Taylor Swift songs coming here and there. Also, a band played and their original music was great!

 I also got to use many photography equipment that I didn't get to before such as the lights that point to the backdrop, this thing called the slave light if I got that right, and I learned a few new things about the settings of my camera. One day, when I get really good at it, maybe I'll blog about it. But now, let the professionals and the fanatics do it :)

with Mark Lozano

In this entry were some of the photos I took which were postprocessed by Chris Yuhico. The ones where I'm in, Chris took those.

It was a long day filled with many new experiences! I will definitely want to volunteer with OML again and you should too! :) Let's support this great organization!

You can check out the rest of the photobooth pictures here.

Philippine Model Congress

From what started from a text from a high school friend, led to an eye-opening and learning experience.

My friend Tricia and I
Photo by Thomas Rosal

I was doing my homework when my friend Tricia texted me telling me that she and a couple of her friends are organizing this thing called the Philippine Model Congress to be held in the Batasan Pambansa (which was eventually held in the Senate). She was wondering if I was interested in helping out. My instinct said YES but reluctance followed because I wasn't so sure what this Congress was exactly about. So, I had follow up questions.

I got to view the website they were still working on and understood what it was. It was simulating the youth into what goes on in the proceedings in the House of Representatives. I thought that it was such a pioneering idea. And I got on board. I posted about the event on Facebook hoping students at my university would sign-up.

Photo by Michael Lorenzana