Outside, sounds of traffic and activity fill the street again on the daily. I hear the familiar beeps and angry honks of cars and jeepneys. People talking loudly. Carts being pushed next to the curb. Street vendors waking up half the streets, announcing their goods for sale. It’s hard to believe that four months ago, I could hardly hear or see anything out in the streets. Since June, however, the ghost towns of Metro Manila have been inching back to busy-ness with the easing of COVID-19 community quarantine. But it actually gives off a false sense of going back to normal. We’re far from safe, far from normal. I’ve been mostly holed up in the house, save for supply runs and bank errands which are stressful situations each time. This gave me a bit of time here and there to think about all the things that happened since the pandemic hit. And boy, there were plenty.  

But, I won’t go into the details of each. Instead, this life update contains some pertinent bits and pieces for those who are (still) curious about how I’m doing and what I’ve been up to.

DO I STILL WRITE?

Yes, but not much of the usual stuff some of you are probably used to reading from me. If you know me from The Phoblographer, I regret to say that I left the blog in April due to some unexpected and unfortunate circumstances. If you’ve still seen something by me there, those are some of the last stuff I wrote. The blog has opened doors for me, and I truly thank you for taking the time to read the stuff I’ve written there in the last three years. However, if you’re into film photography, I’d like to invite you to check out Whattaroll Magazine, an independent film photography magazine that I’ve been part of for the past 6 years. Want to get inspired by works of outstanding film photographers around the world? You’ll find plenty of that on Whattaroll!

DO I STILL TAKE PHOTOS?

Not as much as I want to, mostly because I can’t get into the right mindset for creative projects. I did try doing a quarantine/lockdown photography project on film, and I’ll see what it looks like soon. Unlike some photographers, the limitations of being at home all day haven’t given me any new ideas. Where I am isn’t exactly inspiring either. What limited energy I have is also mostly focused on surviving — self-care, conserving my resources, and finding jobs/paid writing projects. So, rather than force it, I decided to just let any idea marinate in my head and take photos if and when it feels right.

DO I STILL MAKE ZINES?

I have a few that are currently in the works. Some film photography, some writing. Because I still have a lot of films still waiting to be processed, I don’t really have a lot of new materials to work with yet. It forced me to revisit some of my old/existing photos and work with what I have. I’m also excited to be working on a collab zine with some of my fellow film photographers for an online zine event. I’ll share more details once everything is sorted out!

WHAT ELSE?

If you’re based in Metro Manila, I’ve just made a bunch of my favorite photos available for purchase as art prints. I also have some zines available here and through ZINEDICATE, a collective of zine makers based in Manila. I decided to close my Etsy shop for now because I’m not able to ship out internationally. If you’re ready and able to grab some of my prints or zines, I would be truly grateful for your support!

But, how are you? I hope you’re staying safe, sane, and well. I hope you’re able to find ways to stay creative even in these crazy times. And wherever you are, I hope you’re able to find comfort and peace, no matter how elusive they may seem.

Keep in touch. You know where to find me. 

P.S. I was so tempted to title this as “Pandemic at the Disco” not only because I found it funny, but also because it accurately describes how life feels like for me this year. Part panic, part disco, dancing to the rhythm of the pandemic.