Following the success of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR)1st National Photography Competition this year, the state-run gaming firm will once again stage a nationwide photo competition early next year for both professional and amateur photographers.

Using the theme “Only in the Philippines”, PAGCOR’s 2nd National Photography Competition will be highlighting the various facets of the Filipino culture, Pinoy’s way of life and a wide range of attractions that can only be found or experienced in the country.

Maricar Bautista, PAGCOR’s Assistant VP for Corporate Communications, said the agency decided to hold another photo contest in 2014 in response to the clamor of photography enthusiasts to make the competition an annual event. This is also one way of promoting the Philippines to both local and international tourists.

“More than 5,500 professional and amateur lensmen all over the country participated in last year’s photo contest. All of the judges we invited were very much impressed with the turnout and the quality of entries that were submitted. Most of the winners are engaged in various professions but their talent in capturing outstanding photos and their passion for photography are simply remarkable,” Bautista noted.

The nationwide contest according to Bautista, proves that photography is a very effective medium to show the best that the Philippines can offer. “It may sound cliché but a picture really paints a thousand words. Photos that exhibit fun, happiness, and several awe-inspiring attractions can stimulate interest and generate awareness about the best and unique features of our country,” she explained.

Bautista added that Filipinos will never run out of good photos to take. “Anywhere we go in the Philippines there is always something interesting that will catch our eye. Our country is rich in natural resources, history and culture. All we need is a camera or even a mobile phone to immortalize all these,” Bautista noted.

According to Bautista, PAGCOR’s nationwide photo contest also serves as a tribute to the brilliant artistry of budding and professional Pinoy photographers. “Our first photo contest made us realize that we really have so many gifted photographers. We are also happy to learn that our photo contest opened up doors of opportunities for most of them. One winner was able to put up his own studio in Cebu using the cash prize he won from the contest. Another one was hired as a photographer in a cruise ship after winning in the competition,” Bautista shared.

For the 2014 photography competition, Bautista explained that participants must submit photos and images taken anywhere in the Philippines from December 2013 onwards. “The photos should depict things, images, places, icons, food, culture, celebrations, etc. that are uniquely and proudly Filipino. Dapat, unang tingin pa lang sa litrato alam ng dito lang sa Pilipinas mayroon nito,” she said.

Just like PAGCOR’s first photo contest, submission of the entries will be done online via the state-owned gaming firm’s official website (www.pagcor.ph). “We will have an online registration mechanism to hasten the process of submission of entries. This way, photographers coming from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao can easily e-mail their photos. We are optimistic that PAGCOR will once again receive hundreds of exceptional photos. We can’t wait to see all the beautiful entries,” Bautista said.

To make the 2014 edition of PAGCOR’s national photography competition more exciting, Bautista said the agency is planning to introduce a special category that will allow contestants to submit photos using mobile devices and smart phones.

“We are finalizing the details. We will announce the full mechanics of our contest, including the prizes at stake in January next year. In the meantime, we encourage all the photographers and the aspiring ones to start taking their best photos. Let us showcase once more the beauty and unique features of the Philippines through the PAGCOR photo contest,” Bautista said.

The winning entries in the 2nd PAGCOR National Photography Competition will be included in the 2015 calendar of the state-owned gaming firm and will be used in its various communication and promotional collaterals.

To know the latest announcements and updates about the 2nd PAGCOR National Photography Competition, you may visit www.pagcor.ph or follow PAGCOR’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pagcor.ph) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/pagcorph).

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