The entry "Wood gatherer in Bangui" by Ramon Castillo won first place in the SEARCA Photo Contest 2008 themed Coping with Climate Change: Finding Solutions. Castillo also bagged third place for his entry "Reforestation." On the other hand, Gina Meneses' Rebirth placed second.

Ramon Castillo's Wood Gatherer in Bangui

The winning entry of Castillo was taken in Ilocos Norte. It depicts a wood gatherer with the wind turbine as his background. According to him, both the wood gatherer and windmills use renewable source of energy, which is a good way to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Meneses’ Rebirth shows the danger posed by forest denudation and how it impacts the mangrove ecosystem while Castillo’s Reforestation presents another effective solution to address climate change, and that is through planting.

The said photo contest ran from August 16 until November 17, 2008. It is expected to elicit photos depicting adaptation and mitigation to climate change, a pressing global issue at present. A total of 195 photo submissions coming from the Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore, and India were gathered.

The entries were judged based on the following criteria: relevance (35%), regional flavor (20%), originality (20%), composition (15%), and sharpness (10%). Dr. Ma. Victoria Espaldon, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM), University of the Philippines Los Baños; Mr. Al Benavente, Mr. Edwin Cortes, and Mr. Joel Cardenas (photographers); and Dr. Ma. Celeste Cadiz, SEARCA’s Training Manager served as judges.

The winning entries will be exhibited during SEARCA’s 42nd anniversary on November 27. Awarding ceremonies will be on the same day. Winners will receive $500 (first place), $300 (second place), and $200 (third place).