(Published in Bout de Papier, Vol.27, No.2 SPRING 2013, Ottawa, Canada)
Text and Photos by Liza Linklater
What is so special about the Philippines? … its welcoming, friendly, creative, forgiving, kind and resilient people. The landscape is magnificent but the country is really about its people. Having met Filipinos working in many different countries, I have focused here on taking their portraits living and working in their own land, engaged in many vocations and activities.
I like the connections that come with making these straightforward portraits. I first ask permission and if people refuse I thank them and move on. After receiving the go-ahead, I always feel it’s a privilege that brings with it a certain responsibility. This style of documentary photography allows me to enter the lives of strangers, however briefly, and to record it for others to see. In the Philippines, because we often share a common language, we usually have a pleasant conversation and bond easily.
There is so much more to the Philippines than the view presented by the world press whenever there is some calamity – much more than terrorism, typhoons, poverty, hopelessness, and political vendettas. The faith of Filipinos and their close-knit families invariably give them hope during the hardest of times. They work hard to support their families and it is these daily occupations — and the dignity and pride that attach to even the humblest of tasks — that I have tried to capture in my photographs.
Liza Linklater has exhibited in Canada, Thailand and the Philippines. Her articles and photographs have been published in North American and Asian magazines and newspapers. She has lived and traveled in Asia over a period of 12 years. Her postings have included Bangkok twice, New York City and Manila.
