Pinoy photographers win APEC photo contest

Filipino photographers topped the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)- sponsored photo contest in Honolulu on November 8, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said today in a press release.

Reynaldo C Mondez won first prize while Romeo B Doneza placed second in the competition with “Solar Energy Panels” and “World Wide,” respectively.

The third prize went to Wong Chi Keung from Hong Kong for his entry “No-Boundary Network.”

A total of 204 photos were submitted by 95 photographers from 17 APEC member-economies. The winning entries should best reflect the 2011 priorities of strengthening regional economic integration, advancing regulatory cooperation and promoting green growth.

Two other Filipino photographers, Ellen de Leon and Robert Anton Pimentel, made it to the top 10 with their entries “Winds of Change” and “Economic Harmony,” respectively.

Their photos stood out based on the following criteria: quality of photograph, composition, overall impact, artistic merit, and fidelity to the themes.

The three winning entries were chosen by a panel of international judges including AFP Photo Editor-in-Chief (Worldwide) Eric Baradat, AFP Photo Editor-in-Chief (North America) Mladen Antonov, Reportage by Getty Images Photographer Palani Mohan, APEC Secretariat Executive Director Ambassador Muhamad Noor and United States APEC Senior Official Ambassador Kurt Tong.

In a release from the APEC Secretariat, Mondez expressed his happiness upon learning of his victory in the competition.

“I am very happy and truly humbled by this experience,” he said. Mondez is a retired photographer from the National Housing Authority (NHA), and currently runs a small wedding photography business with his son in Metro Manila.

“The photo is a symbol of hope for a sustainable future, even in the most remote parts of the Philippines,” Mondez explained, referring to his winning photo of children playing basketball next to a hut and a solar energy panel, which was taken in a rural village in Rizal province.

“What I’m trying to convey to the world is to make renewable energy more accessible to everyone by first lowering the cost of the technology. Through my photo, I hope to reach out to the decision-makers who are involved in renewable energy,” he added.

To engage the community throughout the Asia-Pacific, the top ten photos were posted on the APEC Facebook page for comments and votes.

More than 10,000 votes were cast during the two-week voting period, where Mondez received over 4,600 “Likes” for his photo, also winning him the APEC Popular Choice Award.

The winning photographs of the APEC Photo Contest 2011, as well as the top 10 photos, are available for viewing online at the APEC Facebook page.

Photo of Mondez’ winning entry “Solar Energy Panels” taken from DFA website.