Litratong Pinoy: PABORITONG LITRATO (Favorite Photo)

Isa siya sa mga batang makukulit sa isang mahirap na barangay na aking pinaglilingkuran noon. Kasama ang mga batang doktor ng pamantasan, nagpupunta kami sa kanilang barangay upang makipamuhay nang pansamantala, makilahok sa kanilang mga gawain, magbahagi ng mga praktikal na karunungang pangkalusugan. Madalas makikita namin siya nakikipagharutan sa kapwa bata, aali-aligid sa mga matatandang kausap namin habang nagtatalakay kami ng mga usapin tulad ng TB, nutrisyon, o bakuna. Kapag sinasabihan namin siya sa isasailalim siya sa isang simpleng pagsusuri, kakaripas sya ng takbo papalayo, iiwan lang sa amin ang kanyang ginintuang ngiti- isang bagay na hindi ipinagdaramot at nag-uumapaw sa gitna ng kahirapan ng kanilang lugar.

PABORITONG LITRATO = FAVORITE PHOTO He is one of those mischievous kids living in one of the lower income community of informal settlers I previously worked with. With the medical students of the university, we go to their village for short immersion sessions, swimming in their daily routine, sharing practical health information through health lectures. We often see him playing with kids his age, loitering at the periphery of our health activities while we discuss topics as basic as TB, nutrition, or the value of immunizations. When we'd encourage him to come over so we can do a simple health check up, he'd run away as fast as he can, leaving behind his golden smile- something that is of great abundance and selflessly shared by almost everyone in his community despite the trying economic times.

in an urban poor village in Pasay City, 2006, using my Woca 120G toy camera.