Foot and Fire

As a support to the Filipino community in Germany, I am again running the topic on this photo that launched many opinions, most of them are resigned to the fact that poverty is a reality in our country. But no matter how few and wide is the voice that clamors for under representation (or misrepresentation), it is still a national concern that Manila is represented by poverty ALONE in an exhibit in a foreign land entitled Mega Cities. Singly, the photo actually has, admittedly, its strength as a message to the Philippine Government in getting its efforts together in eradicating poverty in the country. However, let it be remembered that this photo is exhibited together with other photos under the title MEGA CITIES, and the exhibit is not about poverty or about poor governance.  The exhibit is about culture and progress as shown in other photos included in the exhibit.  All photos are  here.   Any professional curator will reconsider balance in deciding what to...

In this whole-page shot of a local German paper, Naomi Billard is being photographed with the photo that "robbed" the poorest of our country's poor of his privacy and dignity. A picture at the main station in Stuttgart is a cause of controversy. The photo exhibition “Cities of the World” along the corridor to the platforms at the main Stuttgart rail station displays pictures of the world’s biggest cities. During the day travellers drag their rattling wheelie suitcases past Mexico City, Mumbai, Tokyo and Bangladesh. The photographs depict skyscrapers soaring towards the heavens, masses of people on overfilled streets – mega-cities teeming with life. Manila, the capital of Philippines is featured as well. Naomi Paca Billard stands in front of the grand picture as passengers rush by. The Filipina claims that her national pride is hurt by this image. She looks once more at the picture and shakes her head. The picture can’t be judged as a whole to understand w...

Definitely, yes! This is how 59-year-old nurse, mother and Filipino Naomi Billard reacted to this poster (see above) entitled Manila, showing the poverty in an area in Quezon City, taken by German photographer Stephan Schubert, and conspicuously posted in a busy Stuttgart rail station in Germany as part of a photo exhibition called "Metropolis" or "Cities of the World." While it brought home the message of poverty, this photograph sufficiently bothered Naomi on two points. One, it is the invasion of the privacy of the person doing his thing at the edge of the concrete pavement (lower left of the photo), an artistic decision that is tantamount to robbing this toilet-less poorest of the poor his DIGNITY. And two, the photographs of other countries come in at least two and  "depict skyscrapers soaring towards the heavens, masses of people on overfilled streets – mega-cities teeming with life."* This writer is in one voice with Naomi.  As bot...