Ania Blazejewska | MassKara Festival

Photo © Ania Blazejewska-All Rights Reserved

I initially thought that this photograph was made during the Venice Carnival (which is scheduled to start on February 15 this year), but it wasn't. It was made during the MassKara festival by Ania Blazejewska.

Similar to religions which borrow rituals from each other, the MassKara festival is held each year in the town of Bacolod, Philippines, every third weekend of October. It appears that the festival was born out of a period of extreme crisis for the town. It began in 1980 after a precipitous drop of sugar, and the sinking of a vessel carrying many residents.

The word MassKara is a combination of the words mass (a multitude of people), and the Spanish word for face, "cara". The word maskara is also Filipino for "mask", and are influenced by native Filipino indigenous traditions mixed with the influences of the Carnival of Venice and Rio Carnival.

Ania Blazejewska is a freelance travel photographer based in Manila, the Philippines. Mainly interested in exploring cultural and social themes and loves telling stories about lives of ordinary people all over the world, her work was recognized in various Polish and international photo contests, and her freelance photos and articles were featured in a number of Polish-language travel portals. She has photographed in Cuba, India, Ladakh, Laos, Oman, Morocco, Srl Lanka and Nepal...to mention just a few.

Hannah Reyes | People Of The Sea

Photo © Hannah Reyes-All Rights Reserved

We are all shocked at the loss of life (reported to be in the many thousands) and the devastation in the Philippines caused by Typhoon Haiyan. It was one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded, and it currently continues its path of destruction towards Viet Nam.

I thought I'd feature Hannah Reyes' People of the Sea photo gallery; photographs introducing us to the Bajau, an indigenous ethnic group of maritime Southeast Asia. The Bajau are traditionally from the many islands of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines, and live a seaborne lifestyle in small wooden sailing vessels.

They've been known as masters of the seasonal currents of the Sulu and South China seas, and it's said that Bajau fishermen can dip their hands in the sea, and judge a current's direction and strength and the time it will take to reach their destination.

The best of the Bajau can sail at night on instinct and are expert free-divers, holding their breath for long periods as they plunge for pearls. They bury their dead in sailboats so the body can navigate to the afterworld.

Hannah Reyes is a travel / documentary photographer currently living in Phnom Penh. Herself from the Philippines, her work appeared in the New York Times' Global Edition, The International Herald Tribune, The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal. 

Francisco Guerrero | The T'boli People

Photo © Francisco Guerrero-All Rights Reserved

I haven't posted much on the Philippines on The Travel Photographer blog...perhaps 2 or 3 posts at the most. It's no intentional fault of mine, but it's just that I haven't come across much travel photography from this lovely country.

In order to redress this, I have now found Francisco Guerrero's work on the T'boli people. The T'boli people live in the southern part of Filipino province of Cotabata, and around lake Sebu. It is estimated that there are between 100,000 and 150,000 T'boli people. They generally practice the primitive way of agriculture "slash and burn" to grow corn, upland rice, vegetables, and root crops; most of which is for their own consumption.

Twenty-five years ago, written T'Boli did not exist, polygamy was more actively practiced, and barter was the principal form of economic exchange. The latter has since been replaced by a money economy. The T'boli culture is tightly connected with nature, and their dances mimic the action of animals such as monkeys and birds, and their music is played on a variety of musical instruments, and is a form of connection to their ancestors and a source of ancient wisdom.

Francisco Guerrero is based in Spain and in the Philippines, and holds a degree in Anthropology and Communications from Goldsmiths College, London. His clients include Conde Nast Traveller, Travel and Leisure, Lexus Magazine, Budget Travel, Hemispheres, Afar, Town and Country, Continental Inflight among other publications.

Jake Verzosa | Tattooed Women of Kalinga

Photo © Jake Verzosa. All Rights Reserved

The Province of Kalinga is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the region of Luzon, and due to
its mountainous terrain and its warrior-culture, its inhabitants, also known as Kalingas, were able to maintain their traditions despite the attempted occupation of the Spaniards, Japanese, and Americans.

Jake Verzosa photographed the last few tattooed women of Kalinga in an effort to preserve this vanishing art through his photographs. For the women of Kalinga, tattoos are not cosmetic, but symbolize women’s strength and fortitude. This traditional tattoo are indigenous body art, and are still practiced following the ancient methods.

According to Wikipedia, the word "tattoo" was brought to Europe by the explorer James Cook, returning in 1771 from his first voyage to Tahiti and New Zealand. In his narrative of the voyage, he refers to an operation called "tattaw" or "tatau". Tattooing has been practiced for centuries in many cultures, particularly in Asia, and spread throughout the world. Japan, Taiwan, Berbers of North Africa, the Hausa people of Northern Nigeria, and Māori of New Zealand have facial tattoos.

For interesting photographs and the back story of the last tattooed women of Kalinga, drop by Verzosa's About page.

Jake Verzosa is a freelance photographer based in Manila. As a fashion and commercial photographer, he has also expanded his craft and traveled extensively around Southeast Asia. He considers his documentaries and portraits as his personal work. His works have been exhibited in Manila, Tokyo, Singapore, Amsterdam and Paris.