28th Visual Arts Competition: “Scenes from My Hometown"

It was on Oct. 16, 2013 when the  Directories Philippines Corporation (DPC) and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) launched the the 28th edition of their annual Visual Arts Competition (VAC 28) in  Gateway Mall, Cubao, Quezon City.  

Representatives from VAC 28 partner institutions—the Department of Tourism; Canon Marketing Philippines, official imaging and printing partner; and Gateway Mall, official venue partner—were also on hand for the launch.

Since 2011, the VAC has employed digital photography as its medium of entry to engage the ever-growing number of young but highly creative Filipino photo enthusiasts. Students, 15-24 years of age and currently enrolled in any local school, are once again invited to join the contest. 

A total of P700,000 in cash prizes, handsome glass trophies, cameras and computer printers are at stake.Winning photographs will be featured on covers of majortelephone directories—PLDT White Pages and DPC Yellow Pages—all over the Philippines. 

Canon, one of the sponsors

To reinforce the Filipino youth’s connection to their roots, DPC and PLDT are adopting “Scenes from My Hometown” as the official VAC 28 theme.
“We want a strong local flavor this year,” Ricardo D. Bautista, DPC President, said. “We’re expecting a bumper crop of photographs, each one capturing the unique beauty, charm or character of that town or city that a student has learned to call—or has always known to be—home.” 

Marc Henrich Go, winner from the 27^th VAC

How to Join:

Each student can submit up to three entries, either in full color or in black and white.To qualify for the major prizes, any entry must have an 8” x 12” portrait orientation with a resolution of at least 10 megapixels. All entries must be uploaded to the contest’s website, www.visualarts.ph,between Oct. 16, 2012and Feb. 7, 2014 (up to 11:59pm).

 The grand prize winner will take home P80,000 in cash, a special trophy designed by sculptor Impy Pilapil, and a Canon EOS 550D digital camera. In addition, his or her school will receive a P25,000 donation from DPC and PLDT, plus a Canon PIXMA printer.The next three major winners and their respective schools will receive similar prizes.

 The top 50 finalists will automatically win P5,000 in cash, and their works will be put on display at Gateway Mall. Among the top 50 pictures, the public can select their favorites for the People’s Choice Awards—one each for Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao—via online voting through the competition website. 

For more information on the VAC 28 mechanics, prizes and other details, student photo buffs, school administrators and faculty are invited to visit to www.visualarts.ph.