TF photo journalists win in Sinulog photo contest

MANILA, Philippines - Two of The FREEMAN photo journalists were among the winners of the top prizes for this year’s Sinulog Festival Photo Contest.

 Aldo Nelbert Banaynal remains the overall second prize winner this year bagging a total cash prize of P30,000 and a trophy from the Sinulog Foundation Incorporated. He was also the overall second prize winner last year.

Reynan Villena won the first and fourth prizes for the sidelights category of the contest pocketing the P18,000 total cash prizes. P15,000 and P3,000 for the first and fourth prizes, respectively.

Banaynal and Villena were among the more than 2,000 amateur and professional photographers who joined the annual photo contest.

Their winning entries were among the 714 entries submitted for judging.

Banaynal and Villena said they were not expecting to win because there were many of them who joined the contest.

“I was not really expecting to win, since nag concentrate man ko og pamaayo sa usa ka contest nga akong gipaapilan which is the Short Film Contest, shock gane ko kay daghan biya pud naka kuha ato nga shot, siguro mas nindot lang jud akong angle,” Banaynal said.

Villena said he was also surprised to know that he won because it was his first time to win in a photo contest.

“Nakuratan jud ko, first time nako nakadaog. Unya di japon ko katoo kay daghan biya og entries nya ako jud ang naka daog. Naka huna-huna sad ko nga naa koy chance pero dili pud kanang first placer. Ang edge lang siguro nako kay nindot ang mga angles sa akong pictures,” he said.

This year’s P50,000 grand prize and a trophy will again go to MikhailArrogante. On top of the grand prize his other entry was also adjudged third overall pocketing an additional P20,000 and a trophy.

The awarding ceremony will be on January 29, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the SM City Cebu Cinema 2. — /FPL (FREEMAN)