In 1994 he was the principal photographer for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism’s “Pork and Perks – Corruption and Governance in the Philippines,” a National Book Award winner.
Now, he’s focusing on the faces of the human condition, the ultimate victims of graft and corruption. And sometimes, for some of his photography subjects, his work is deliverance.
Rocamora’s compelling photographs will be exhibited from Nov. 12 to Dec. 3 at the 3F Galleries, Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.
The exhibit “Life’s Arcade: Quiapo” documents the struggles of residents of one of Manila’s busiest districts, Quiapo. It is home to the Quiapo church, a national shrine of the feast of the Black Nazarene celebrated in January, which has captured worldwide attention due to the religious fervor of the millions drawn to the event.
It is the Philippines’ own Wailing Wall, where self-proclaimed sinners atone by walking on their knees inside the famous church; where once a year devotees compete to carry the statue of the Nazareno in a procession resulting in a grand melee unrivaled in scope elsewhere.
Street hawking
Outside of religious fanaticism, Quiapo on ordinary days has become synonymous with street hawking of foodstuff, lucky charms and amulets, with fortune-telling and bargain hunting.
Facing the famous church is the notable Plaza Miranda, known to be the center of political and philosophical discourse. “Mapagtatalunan ba ito sa Plaza Miranda?” (Can this be debated at Plaza Miranda?) was a cliché of the argumentative. In 1972, the plaza was the site of the 1971 bombing of a political rally of the Liberal Party, Marcos’ opponents, killing nine.
Rocamora’s Quiapo is about brave hearts. “The story of Quiapo is not about crime and filth. It is a haven for strong-hearted individuals tenacious enough to overcome life’s obstacles, determined to make life better for themselves and their families, and motivated to rise up and dream against all odds,” said the photojournalist who has won several awards.
Multiple awards
His images and picture stories have been honored by the Asian American Journalists Association, SF Bay Area Press Photographers Association, New California Media, and Media Alliance. He was awarded a California Arts Council Art Fellowship and a Local Bay Area Heroes Award from KQED and Union Bank of California for his work about Filipino WW II Veterans.
Rocamora’s work has been published in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times and other national and international print and online publications. His work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution, Center for Photographic Arts, Museum of Photographic Arts, Gorman Museum, Oakland Museum, University of California in Berkeley, San Francisco State University, Boston College, University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Ben Cab Museum and other international museums and galleries.
Rocamora’s “Human Wrongs,” an ongoing project on conditions in Philippine Detention Centers, won an award from Photophilantrophy.org in 2012. His ongoing projects include “Clogged Veins of Justice in the Philippines” and “iLife San Francisco.” The latter documents San Francisco at street level, using an iPhone and Hipstamatic app. His book about Filipino WWII veterans, “America’s Second-Class Veterans,” was published in 2009.
“Second-Class Veterans,” a film produced by Don Young, which profiled Rocamora’s ceaseless efforts to document the day-to-day lives of Filipino veterans, was broadcast on PBS stations in 2003 and 2004.
Manila’s two percent
Rocamora’s sharp lenses bring light to the other side of Manila’s two percent: the poorest of the poor who live under cardboards by night but attempt to function “normally” with other huddled workers when the sun rises.
The photographer’s past documentary project included chronicling life on Paterno Street just beside the Quiapo Church, a homeless alcove amid air-conditioned optometry shops.
He focused on a young student Rodallie S. Mosende, who has lived homeless on Paterno Street since birth. After Mosende’s story was posted on social media, it received wide readers’ support including a four-year college scholarship and a monthly stipend. Additional support he said came from readers of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and GMA News Online.
Rewarding bonus
“It was a rewarding and unexpected bonus to my work,” said Rocamora. “Intrigued and challenged, I decided to expand my documentation beyond Paterno Street.”
This served impetus to his upcoming photo exhibit, which throbs with larger-than-life visual narratives of the pain, anger, anxiety, struggle and hope for prosperity by the residents and merchants of Quiapo.
“There is only one image of Rodallie S. Mosende in the forthcoming exhibition,” qualified Rocamora.
One anticipates, however, that her image echoes faith in redemption by the rest of the disenfranchised residents of the area, which noted writer and screen playwright Pete Lacaba once called the “Armpit of the Nation.”
“I dug deeper into the lives of my subjects in Quiapo, knowing each of their life histories, challenges and anxieties,” explained Rocamora. “I also worked hard to find subjects who represent a cohesive voice of the residents and visitors who frequent Quiapo.”
Sampaguita vendor
Out of this collection has come Veronica Rodillas, a 14-year-old student of Araullo High School who has been selling sampaguita garlands in Quiapo since she was five years old. Separated from her husband, Rodillas’ mother decided to try her luck in Manila. Their life has been full of challenges.
A Rocamora picture paints a thousand words, inviting sentiments and offerings of help from followers.
“After I posted Veronica’s story on Facebook, a benefactor came forward to provide her educational assistance to finish high school, and she is looking forward to getting a college education,” he said.
“While many avoid Quiapo because of fear for their lives and property, those in the know see Quiapo in a different light—a mecca for hardworking individuals sharing a common goal of finding solutions to their grinding poverty with high hopes for prosperity on the horizon.
“I hope that my work negates the common impression of Quiapo and gives it a second chance. Like some of its residents—all they need is a second chance to improve their lives,” Rocamora said in a statement.