World Press Photo Exhibition 2007 Opens at The Podium

I was at the opening of the World Press Photo exhibition 2007 at The Podium yesterday, May 2, 2007 where approximately 200 prizewinning pictures from the World Press Photo Contest were displayed. The Inauguration was graced by Fr. Jose M. Cruz, SJ (Dean, Ateneo School of Social Sciences), Ms. Evelien Kunst (Program Manager, World Press Photo), HE Robert Vornis (Ambassador of the kingdom of The Netherlands to the Philippines), Dr. Violet B. Valdez PhD (Executive Director, ACFJ), Mr. Werner von Busch (Director, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung), and Mr. Mark Vincent L. Escaler (Chair, Ateneo Dept. of Communication). The event also coincides with the Awarding of Certificates for the first batch (8) that had finished the Diploma in Photojournalism at ACFJ. Congratulations!

The images are impressive indeed and how I wish that Filipino photojournalists will make it in the future World Press Photo Contest! For those of you who won’t be able to view the exhibition at The Podium, you still have the chance to view them on May 10 – 16 at the SM Mall of Asia and on May 18-24 at The Block (SM North EDSA).

I was able to touch base again with PJs from Philippine Center for Photojournalism and later in the night, photodocumentary photographer Nana Buxani invited me to join her group where I met Italian photographer Giovanni Del Brenna & Artist Dindo Llana. Giovanni was in town for a magazine assignment and had promised to eat balut when he got the chance to visit the Philippines again.