Communication Arts students of De La Salle University photographed for their photojournalism class individuals in Metro Manila before Christmas 2022 and asked their subject’s hope for the coming year and beyond.
OFW DREAM. Raymond Campo, 34 years old, father of two, poses atop the roof of the Premier Building in Sta. Cruz Plaza, Manila of which he has been the caretaker of for nine years already. He hopes to leave the country by 2023 for Taiwan and in mind a salary structure better than the daily minimum wage of P570 in the Philippines. (Photo by Jayson Alcazar)POSITIVITY. Kuya Sonny cuts metal bars for construction in Malate, Manila on 7 December 2022. He hopes that by 2023 life will become more manageable, and there will be a flow of positivity in his life. (Photo by Basilio Apolinario)INCLUSIVE TO SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIP. Ryan wraps his arm at Eron as they gaze over their balcony’s city view in Quezon City, 6 December 2022. In the coming year, the couple hopes for the country to be more open and inclusive to same-sex relationships—discerning that we all deserve to love and be loved. (Photo by Eron Mark Noel Editor)BETTER PUBLIC TRANSPORT. Irish Binuncal, a political science student in Far Eastern University in Manila waits for a bus in Sampaloc Manila, 6 December 2022. In 2023, though she believes it’s impossible, Irish still hope for the country’s development of public transportation— deeming for the government to be wary of the public commuter’s welfare. (Photo by Eron Mark Noel Editor)CARE FOR THE EARTH. Young entrepreneur and barista Edrivon Mismanos, 25, hands the iced coffee drink that the customer ordered in his coffee stall at Taal, Batangas on December 7, 2022. In the coming year, he wishes that Filipinos will engage in planting activities and care more about the Earth. (Photo by Mika Baldoz)MORE FEEDING PROGRAM FOR KIDS. Volunteer Ronalyn Abriol poses for a portraits with her Project PEARLS shirt. She said that her hope for the country is: Sana magtuloy-tuloy pa ang mga tumutulong para marami pang mga bata ang makasama sa mga feeding programs. Project PEARLS aims to help children through PEARLS: Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love, Smiles. (Photo by Sofia Barrion)CO-EXIST WITH ANIMALS. DLSU Professors for the Upliftment of Society’s Animals (PUSA) senior volunteer Jardine Sy pets Minimeow at De La Salle University – Manila on December 12, 2022. She hopes that in 2023, Filipinos will learn how to coexist with animals and remember that their lives are not indispensable. This is in response to the recurring hit-and-run incidents that have injured and killed multiple cats cared for by the organization. (Photo by Kimberly John Bautista)WORK OPPORTUNITIES. Ate Chloe, 29, sells siomai along Agno St. in Taft Avenue on December 7, 2022. She hopes that more work opportunities will be given to individuals like her so that they, too, can also live comfortably in life. She said “Sana rin ay magtuloy-tuloy lang na may maibenta ako, para magkaroon ng kita, at may maiuwi sa bahay.” (Photo by Jasmine Cano)ADDRESS SOCIAL ISSUES. Rae Juania, a 4th Year Communication Arts student, addresses the issues present during their production assignment in the photo studio. She hopes that Filipinos continue to take part in addressing social issues and collectively help one another for a brighter future. (Photo by Jana Cerezo)SUSTAIN NEEDS OF KIDS. Raymart Peralta, a vendor on the bustling street of Ongpin in the Binondo district of Manila for fifteen years, roasts a batch of kastanyas using small hot stones in a talyasi as he awaits the arrival of customers. While he is concerned about the elusive nature of income in his line of work— a long-standing ordeal that has plagued the vendors of Chinatown for decades—he hopes that through his unyielding efforts, he will be able to sustain his two children so they will grow up well. (Photo by Cristina Jarito)STARTING A BUSINESS AND FAMILY. Leo Mhel Helera, a 26-year-old vendor whose stall is located at Rizal Park in Manila, ladles cucumber and lemon juice into a tall cup. Having been a juice vendor for over a year, he said that his two greatest dreams for the upcoming year are establishing his own business and starting a family. (Photo by Cristina Jarito)WORK OPPORTUNITIES. Jalita Bagioso, 50, guards the mall entrance of Powerplant Mall, Makati on December 7, 2022. She hope for jobless Filipinos like her youngest son to have more work opportunities in 2023. The unemployment rate in the Philippines continues to slow down from 5% in September to 4.5% in October of this year, the lowest level since 2005. (Photo by Cherina Javier)MORE OPPORTUNITY. DLSU’s finest– the Gokongwei College of Engineering guard, Glezel, hopes for more job opportunities for the people in her community. (Photo by Martina Marcos)SUPPORT FOR GRADUATES. Joaquin Cuezon, a fourth-year college student, participates in his online class in the De La Salle University Campus in Manila. As his graduation comes close, he wishes that the government improves and develops programs that support fresh graduates and unemployed Filipinos in finding jobs to attain stability amongst Filipinos across the country. (Photo by Jham Mercado)LESS HOMELESS. 70-year-old street vendor Nanay Baby waits for motorist customers in the evening of December 8, 2022, in front of the Our Lady of Remedies Parish Church in Malate, Manila. Her old house near the San Andres Sports Complex was demolished a year ago and she was forced to settle at her current spot along M.H. Del Pilar Street— she hopes for a year that homeless people like her may find a roof to live under again. (Photo by Francesca Panis)MORE PROFITABLE SPOT. 48-year-old taho vendor Romeo Balisi prepares for the possible influx of customers strolling along the walkways of Rizal Park on the Friday evening of December 9, 2022. Because of the volatility of his income that comes with his day-to-day job in Luneta, he wishes that he may further feel the growth of his taho business at a more profitable spot for the succeeding year. (Photo by Francesca Panis)BETTER GOVERNANCE. Digital illustrator Jannel Binarao renders an ongoing commissioned art piece at a coffee shop on December 10, 2022. As an artist who believes in art’s political power, Jannel wishes for better governance and a better national leader in the coming year. (Photo by Ria Rapinan)A BETTER TOMORROW. Aramella Saulong, a senior high school culinary student shows the blondies she baked for her family at her home in Makati on December 9, 2022. She hopes that in 2023, the Philippines’ situation will improve so that everyone will have a better tomorrow, and for people to be more mindful and open. (Photo by Arabelle Saulong)HOPING TO GO BACK. Jason Crisolo, a Grab driver, poses for the camera as he delivers beverages to a house in Makati on December 10, 2022. He became a grab driver because of the lockdown, and in 2023, he hopes to have enough savings to return to his old work as a housekeeper for a call center. (Photo by Arabelle Saulong)AFFORDABLE FOOD. Sebastian Martinez, his family’s breadwinner, buys necessities at a convenience store. For 2023, he hopes for a better quality of life for every Filipino with access to affordable food, shelter, education, and healthcare. (Photo by Clyde Sevilla)ONTO A NEW CHAPTER. Hans Sison, one of the graduates of De La Salle University – Manila during the COVID-19 pandemic, poses in front of the La Salle Hall facade on November 28, 2022. He wishes that people would have the strength to keep holding on to their goals and not fall into despair like he almost did. (Photo by Gabrielle Sy)STABLE EMPLOYMENT. JR Lopez waits for guests at the town fair to ride the carousel he operates at the Barangay Langgam Town Fair in San Pedro, Laguna on December 10, 2022. JR says that he only hopes to have more stable employment and more efficient action from the government. (Photo by Michael Tan)RELIABLE INCOME FOR LIVELIHOOD. Marisa, a cook for Dory & Agnes food eatery, serves up Filipino home cooked dish known for ‘abot kayang ulam na swak sa panglasa ng pangmasa’ at their stall in Marikina Public Market on December 8, 2022. As the year comes to an end, she expressed her wish to have access to a more reliable source of income supporting their livelihoods by 2023. (Photo by Alyssa Tumaneng)ECONOMIC RECOVERY. Mang Danilo Silloren, 62, the owner of the Dany Sari-Sari store in Talipapa, San Mateo, Rizal, smiles for the camera while waiting for customers on the afternoon of December 10, 2022. After 21 years of running a small retail outlet selling condiments, he expressed his hopes for the country to recover from economic downfall in 2023 saying: sana ay mag mura ang mga bilihin, [dahil] bagsak ang kita sa paninda ngayon. (Photo by Alyssa Tumaneng)FOR WORKERS. Bus Conductor Rommel Carriagan all smiles as he thinks of his hopes for the country on November 29, 2022. He said that he wants a better future for Filipino workers and the entirety of the Filipino nation as well. (Photo by Sarah Villanueva)
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