My cousin asked me today if my trip to the Philippines felt like a vacation... and i would have to say, within the 2-and-a-half weeks that I've been here, only one day has really felt like a vacation. If it was not family business, it was reporting, photographing and connecting--which I don't mind at all, i mean, that's basically what this trip was meant for.

I do regret not being able to update this blog as much as I wanted to. I havn't had much time to sit down and upload photos everyday.

One of the events that I did go to was on the International Day of the Disappeared. It is a day that remembers those who have been arrested and are imprisoned in places where their relatives do not know of. I met with a photojournalist, Luis Liwanag, who has been an inspiration and a great help to me while out here in the motherland. Here are some photos:



A man places photos of people who have "disappeared" or have been arrested for political or unknown reasons.
The International Day of the Disappeared on August 30 is a day created to draw attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at places and under poor conditions unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives.



The sign reads,"Gloria Arroyo, AFP, and PNP: Where is my dad." Those present at the rally, which started outside of University of San Tomas, were family memebers of those who have disappeared.



It was my first time to me at an event in the Philippines with other photojournalists present. Since I was not wearing a media badge, someone came up to me to ask where I was from and thought that I was from the CIA. Apparently, the CIA photographs protestors and demonstrators for their records...



A young boy looks out at the crowd of protestors marching the street.




Hundreds of demonstrators caused a traffic jam in one of Manilla's main streets.