grandstand
We’re back to normal. Yes, indeed. And it’s not good. No, it never was.
Everybody has been hoping that after what we’ve been through, things would get better. We have been looking forward to hear the drumbeats fill the streets with energy, with rhythm, with life. This would be our celebration of life.
But the spat between our city and provincial governments has been on an endless rerun, the actors reading from the same script that should have already been washed out by the deluge. Both parties have their own parades and their own reasons, and none of them is giving way. No street parade for one party, and I wasn’t keen on watching the other. This is an epic story but I don’t have a lifetime to spare on the details and it’s all irrelevant now that it is past. We’ll see what happens next year, if it will still be another political grandstand.
This is what it is like to come up short – 18mm from more than 10 meters away. No close up festival photos unless there will be a street parade next year or until I get another piece of glass. I’ll worry about it when the time comes.
There’s always something more interesting than taking canned shots of dancers on stage, and that is candids under the bleachers, away from the heavy downpour. But that’s only me.
Now if only our politicians will grow up and learn from these kids…
Sibling love.
The procession of the devotees of the Patron Saint, Señor Santo Niño on Monday afternoon after a fluvial procession. I do hope that there are prayers offered for the enlightenment of our leaders.
A walk with my camera 
We used to call the parade after the fluvial parade as “PRUSISYON” or procession. It was mainly a religous procession to bring the Sto. Nino image from the fluvial parade to the church. Then Marcos, Kokoy, and later Imelda Marcos became the hermano mayor. Controversy started when it was pointed out tha Imelda cannot be hermano mayor since she was a woman and the Sto. Nino was a Boy.. When the drought of the 1980s then later Red Tide the seas around Leyte and Samar, the GABA from the Sto. Nino was being blamed on imelda’s hermanidad. It was during this time that Sangyaw came and turned the purely religous procession in to a cultural and carnabal event.
Looking back, the Sangyaw was a political propaganda for the Marcoses. Lately, it has been a political circus.
Perfect message, and we hear you.Let us all hope for the better if not the best. Excellent job. Thank you.
nice pictures……
Thanks, Orly. Let us hope for the best next year…
Necessities like justice, truth, fairness and so on are, unfortunately, seldom achieved without a struggle.
Thanks you for sharing your world to the rest of us
The chubby cheeks and polka dress pic has to be one of my favorites of yours. Sorry to hear the continued frustration…
It was half expected; we were hoping for a change of heart after the disaster, but it seems like politicians and their egos are bigger disasters.
Orlando, Your photos are very good, I think the B&W tells a story that color would fail to communicate. I live in Massachusetts and I must admit our leaders with all the opportunity are often similar to yours. This is a very sad situation. It seems the leaders in this world today are not really interested in leading but only in removing as much as possible from the people in the name of leadership. With the ability to communicate with more people more quickly we seem to be loosing the ability to communicate.
I believe your photos are the tools of communication today it is just sad that those that should be understanding them fail to look at them.
I hope the best for you, what type of camera do you use?
Sincerely,
Tom
thank you, Tom. Sadly what you say is true, and what’s worse for us here in the Philippines is that people vote for the same people every election. Local politics is even worse, and downright disgusting.
I use a Fujifilm X-pro1 and an 18mm lens. I should get a zoom lens for occasions wherein it is impossible to get close to the subject but am afraid that it will probably be used only a few times a year.
This is a powerful message you are sending here.
and I hope it reaches the people who are in the position to change the situation. Thanks!
I hope so too.