On Focus: The Way In Ordinary Life

March 12, 2010

Tags: The Way

3rd place winner of Posters category: <i>The Way 420</i>, Lara Castillo

3rd place winner of Posters category: The Way 420, Lara Castillo

To celebrate the 70th Anniversary of The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva, Narra Study Center in the Philippines launched a photo contest entitled “On Focus: The Way In Ordinary Life”. The idea was to get young people to read the book. But not just to read it; rather, to see how the points relate to ordinary life.

First place winner of Posters category: <i>The Way 429</i>, Kaye Tan

First place winner of Posters category: The Way 429, Kaye Tan

Seeing how the young people click away so easily with their digital equipment, we thought a photo contest might interest them. Each participant could submit up to 3 entries. The idea got bigger and bigger when another category was added, prizes were included, as well as online voting for People’s Choice Award and a photo exhibit.

Deadline of entries was set for the beginning of 2010. Happily, we got a good response. Some liked the prizes at stake; others, because photography has become an interest. Most important for us however, was the exposure to The Way by participants who have not heard of it before and who were touched by the content. Of course, we included a copy of the book among the takeaways.

3rd place winner of Snapshots category: <i>The Way 844</i>, Finina Fider

3rd place winner of Snapshots category: The Way 844, Finina Fider

By the deadline, we had received 36 entries from 16 participants for the snapshot and poster categories. Judging and awarding was done on February 13.

The online voting started on February 6 until the 13th so that each participant could get their friends and family to vote for their entries. Around 400 votes were cast for both categories, showing how much support each one had from their family and friends. The participants would even advertise in Facebook and other social network sites to garner more votes from their social network.

1st place winner of Snapshots category: <i>The Way 575</i>, Isabel Diaz

1st place winner of Snapshots category: The Way 575, Isabel Diaz

For the Snapshots category, the 1st place winner was Isabel Diaz, a student in her 2nd year at the University of the Philippines Diliman taking up Education. She went to Jerusalem over the Christmas break and we asked her to submit entries. Her photo is of an entrance to a cave with the point, “575: There are some who pass through life as through a tunnel, without ever understanding the splendor, the security and the warmth of the sun of faith.”

The 2nd place winner was Isabel Abola, a 2nd year high school student of PAREF Woodrose School. Her winning photo is of her little brother on a swing with the point 864: “Being children you will have no cares: children quickly forget what troubles them and return to their games. With abandonment, therefore, you will not have to worry, since you will rest in the Father.”

2nd place winner of Posters category: <i>The Way 293</i>, Janelle Mendoza

2nd place winner of Posters category: The Way 293, Janelle Mendoza

The 3rd place winner was Finina Fider, also a 2nd year high school student of PAREF Woodrose. Her winning photo is of a stone arc taken on a trip to Spain, with the point, “844: Raise magnificent buildings? Build sumptuous palaces? Let others raise them! Let others build them!...Souls! Let us give life to souls, for those buildings and palaces! What fine houses are being prepared for us!” Finina’s photo also won People’ Choice Award.

For the Posters category, the first place winner was Kaye Tan, a student in her first year at the College of St. Benilde taking Multi-Media Arts. Her poster was a mini-collage of photos from outreach activities she attended with the point, “429: everything that is done out of Love acquires greatness and beauty.”

The 2nd place winner was Janelle Mendoza, a high school freshman at PAREF Woodrose School. Her entry is a collage of pictures in the midst of petals resting on two hands, with the point, “293: In your interior life, have you slowly considered the beauty of 'serving' with ever-renewed willingness?” Her photo also won People’s Choice Award.

2nd place winner of Snapshots category: <i>The Way 864</i>, Isabel Abola

2nd place winner of Snapshots category: The Way 864, Isabel Abola

The 3rd place winner was Lara Castillo, a high school senior at Assumption College. Her photo is of a butterfly on a flower with the point, “420: How little a life is to offer to God!”

Judges were Ms. Ditas Bermudez, a photojournalist and writer; Ms. Arlene Keh, CEO of a company and a photography enthusiast, and Ms. Kristin Rodriguez, a professional photographer. All of them were quite impressed with the interpretations of the participants of the different points in the book.

For the participants, reading The Way has opened unsuspected horizons in their daily life for which they are all grateful. And so are we.

Mia Montemayor, Manila