SinagLawaran celebrated yet again the creative eye and technical prowess of Filipino photographers this year, featuring an awarding ceremony and exhibition of the photo contest’s winning entries. The Isa sa Isla Photo Exhibit ran from November 7 to 9 on the third floor, East Wing of Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons in Pasig City.
The SinagLarawan Photo Contest is an annual program now in its third year, mounted by JTI Philippines Community Investment, which supports three focus areas: people, environment, and arts and culture. This year’s contest was themed ‘Isa sa Isla,’ or ‘a visual exploration of how our lives in the islands are linked by water in profound and complex ways,’ which help shape Filipino culture and identity.
‘[This year], we saw a significant increase in the number of photographers joining the contest, as well as good representation from photo clubs and communities from all over the country,’ said Guilherme Silva, JTI Philippines general manager, who also served as a judge in the photo contest.
SinagLarawan 2025 welcomed almost 500 entries from around the country. In the end, the Grand Prize or the SinagLarawan of the Year title was bestowed on the poetic photograph Patron Saint of the Mariners by Kurt Austin Garcia, also a member of the photo club Raw and Untitled PH. Meanwhile, Jessie Eno’s Harvest from the Crown Jewel was awarded first runner up, receiving P120,000 and a trophy, with P25,000 and a certificate for the photo club Putowalkers. Completing the podium was The Current’s Common Ground by Missy Keith Acbang, which also won a P100,000 cash prize and trophy, with the photo club Samahan ng mga Litratista sa Rizal receiving P20,000 and a certificate.
Aside from the top 3, SinagLarawan 2025 also recognized eight outstanding photos for its Circle of Excellence, each awarded a cash prize of P80,000 and a trophy, while their respective clubs received P10,000 and a certificate each. The Circle of Excellence winners included Mark Kevin Badayos and Salvador Toong III of the Photographers Club of Cebu Inc., Nathaniel Carampatana of Putowalkers, Reu Dawner Flores of the Samahan ng mga Litratista sa Rizal, John Kimwell Laluma and Alfred Immanuel Sa-onoy of the Camera Club of Negros, Brian Roldan of Raw and Untitled PH, and Lord Aeron Salem of the Philippine Society for Photography.
There were also 13 winners of SinagLarawan 2025 Special Awards, who each received P50,000 and a certificate. Arturo De Vera Jr. bagged the JTI Employee Choice Award, while the Rehiyon Awards featured three winners per region. These were Jose Revoli Cortez, Sean Jhayzeith Cortez, and Fionna Pelayo for Metro Manila; Arnold Mark Ian Cacanindin, Michael Angelo Luna, and Zarah Jane Ngo for Luzon; Catherine Angeles, Redante Auxilian, and Carlito So for Visayas; and Gale David Davad, Glenn Magallano, and Wyndell ‘Dell’ Supremo for Mindanao.
Moreover, SinagLarawan 2025 named 76 finalists as part of its top 100 roster, each receiving P10,000 in cash and a certificate. This year, the photo contest awarded over P2.5 million in total cash prizes. All 100 winning photographs will be featured in a coffee table book. SinagLarawan is also featuring the Top 24 photos in its special edition JTI Philippines calendar for 2026. Aside from the recognition and prizes, the winning images were also featured in the Isa sa Isla Photo Exhibit at Estancia Mall. The photographs further underlined how the Filipino’s connection with water in all aspects has given rise to communal aspects of our culture.
‘SinagLarawan’ is derived from the Filipino words ‘sinag’ which means ray of light, and ‘larawan,’ which means image. The SinagLarawan Photo Contest aims to highlight the values, traits, culture, and traditions that shape the Filipino identity through evocative photographs. The mission is to allow these photographs ‘to drive and inspire us to be better, do better, and take pride in all that it means to be Filipino.’