Rise of the YayaRazzis

MANILA, Philippines - We are a nation raised by yayas, the unsung heroes of society. Behind every powerful man in this country is a yaya who once wiped his pawis and tucked a bimpo inside his shirt. Beside every powerful woman in this country is a yaya who picks up her children from school because she has to hold down meetings until 6. The world’s best trained nannies have got nothing on the Filipino yaya. Sure, Nanny McPhee may have been an extraordinary disciplinarian (kaya naman ng powers niya, eh), but compare that to your yaya laying the holy smack down like the hand of God if you refused to finish your rice at meal time. Yaya can do everything from helping you finish your school project to ironing your clothes before you went out on those archaic “gimmicks,” all while frying you a fresh batch of chicken nuggets. No wonder RJ Ledesma is still so attached to his.

Fortunately for RJ, he isn’t alone. “My yaya from when I was a baby is still with my family until now,” shares Sofia Genato, owner of The Stork Studio. “Our yayas, maids and drivers are like family already since they have been with us for a long time. They are wais and love to learn new things.” As a professional photographer, she couldn’t help but notice the struggle of our favorite house helpers whenever they were asked to take photos during family gatherings. “A lot of it is really a confidence issue,” Sofia shares, owing it to the fact that many yayas are usually afraid of dropping and breaking the camera or pressing the wrong button.

After experiencing a certain level of success with her MommaClicks workshops, Sofia seized an opportunity when she got wind that most of her clients for Stork Studio give cameras to their children’s yayas to take photos of their alagas. Sosyal si yaya! As a result, YayaRazzi: Photography Classes for the Super Yaya was born.

Ambot sa imo! Sure, Nanny McPhee can do magic tricks and stuff, but does she have a charming Bisaya accent?

Given the amount of uncertainty and hesitation yayas usually display with a camera in hand, Sofia was pleased to find out that they were willing students. “I was really surprised at the enthusiasm they have to learn. I get a lot of questions from them about the controls, how to do this and that.” Instructing them herself, she gently eases them into being comfortable holding the camera before going into the basics. “I teach them basic camera holding techniques and where to put their hands and feet so they are always stable and the photo is sharp. I also teach them to understand the lighting around them and when to use flash, and we practice together individually.”

Ultimately, however, what Sofia wants her eager students to come away with is that taking pictures is a fun activity, as opposed to a nerve-wracking one. “My goal is to make them comfortable and confident behind the camera so they don’t get nervous anymore when there are 15 people in front of them, shouting different things on how to take the photo. A lot of them really take it seriously and are very eager to learn and by the end of it, they are happily clicking away.”

After only two sessions and with the aid of an amusingly witty name, the workshops have been generating quite a bit of buzz. “They are a hit so far. Clients say it’s super sulit and it helped their yayas take better photos because now, they are more confident behind the lens and they know how to use the camera controls,” she adds.

The only thing better than Ogie Alcasid acting like a seven-year-old girl is Michael V parading around as the delirious Yaya Cha-Cha.

At the moment, she is looking forward to eventually putting up a YayaRazzi Exhibit of the best photos taken by the yayas who have taken her class by the end of the year. Looks like dear old yaya will have to be logging in tons of practice before the year ends because YayaRazzi workshops are limited to just one session. “[Yes], it’s just one session right now because they can’t really be away from their alaga for too long,” Sofia adds.

God bless you, yaya.

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The next YayaRazzi workshop is on June 19 (Sunday) from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street. Limited slots are available. Sign up at the Customer Service Center at Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street or e-mail mommaclicks@gmail.com.