by Richard Aliangan
ZAMBOANGA CITY, 13 March. (PIA 9) – The city lauded the winners and organizers of the first “Vamos a Zamboanga”Photo Contest Friday night, urging them to be exemplars of responsible photography.
The competition which was organized by the Rotary Club of Zamboanga District 3850 in collaboration with the City Government of Zamboanga aimed to portray the best and the beautiful of Zamboanga City thru photography.
Subtitled as “A Photo Safari Contest to Capture the Best of Zamboanga”, the entries covered the highlights of the 2011 Zamboanga Hermosa Festival from October 1-12, making it the longest-running photo contest of its kind in the City.
Rotary Club of Zamboanga President Rikki Lim, a veteran photographer said that the reason why the winners were awarded five months after the contest started in October is because they aimed to conduct a massive promotional campaign though a social networking site.
In fact, the top 10 entries of the said contest were even exhibited as part of the celebration of the 75th Dia de Zamboanga from February 20-29.
Mayor Celso Lobregat was pleased with the objective of the event where Zamboanga City is the main highlight.
“Tonight, as I look at your works, I found a sense of partnership with you in the cause of promoting the best of Zamboanga City. Thru your photographs, you are literally showing that Zamboanga is beautiful, a peaceful and vibrant City that is very rich in history and culture”, Lobregat said.
The Chief Executive gave his all-out-support to the contest, sponsoring the cash prizes of the winners who bested the 5 categories and the over-all winner.
Anton Mari Lim was declared winner for the Regatta Category and he took home P2, 500 with a vinta-designed trophy. Kerwin Baldovino topped the Street Dance Category bagging the same cash prize and a trophy.
For the People Category, Mervin Alvarez got the judges’ nod while John Mabalot and Vince Carbon topped the Landscape/Seascape Category and Culture Category, respectively.
For the over-all winner, the entry of Vince Carbon was adjudged as the best, immortalizing an image of one of the float entries of the Hermosa Float Competition.
Aside from the mentioned awards, another special prize was awarded to Joel Alconera as the Most Liked Entry voted thru a social networking site.
Carbon, as the Grand Winner, took home P15, 000 with a trophy and a Nexus Camera courtesy of Canon Philippines being one of the major sponsors of the event that will likely take another turn next year. (RA-CIO/RVC-PIA-9 ZBST)
