The Philippine Consulate General marked Women’s Month in Hong Kong by opening a weeklong exhibition on 10 March 2019 of photos taken by an award-winning Filipino amateur photographer who has been working for more than five years as a household service worker (HSW) in the territory.
Titled “Babae, Ipagbunyi (Celebrate Women): Empathy in a Click” is the first solo photo exhibition of Nat Geo runner-up Joan Pabona, which was organized together with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Wimler Foundation at the Consulate Gallery. The event culminated with a workshop conducted by Ms Pabona for her fellow HSWs on 17 March.
The exhibit’s opening ceremony was led by Deputy Consul General Germinia V. Aguilar-Usudan and Ms. Pabona, with Dr.Ju-chen Chen of CUHK’s Department of Anthropology and Mr. Richard Rispens of Wimler Foundation. Supporting entities included Prime Credit, Philippine National Bank, AFreight and FAB Photographers.
Ms. Pabona won second place in the National Geographic Wheelock Youth Photo Competition in January 2018 for her photograph titled “Sacrifice,” which depicts a woman construction worker in Hong Kong in a tangle of safety nets. This served as her solo exhibit’s central piece along with a window vinyl of the same series.
Ms. Pabona won second place in the National Geographic Wheelock Youth Photo Competition in January 2018 for her photograph titled “Sacrifice,” which depicts a woman construction worker in Hong Kong in a tangle of safety nets. This served as her solo exhibit’s central piece along with a window vinyl of the same series.
In her welcome remarks, Deputy Consul General Aguilar-Usudan mentioned how migrant workers in Hong Kong never stop to improve their skills and dream big, not only for themselves but for their family and loved ones as well.
“This is what Joan did. A woman who started small but with big dreams. A woman who continues to improve her skills and be an inspiration to others”, Deputy Consul General Usudan told the audience at the opening.
Mr. Rispens highlighted in his speech the hard work of Filipino migrant workers and how they inspire others and demonstrate how possible it is – regardless of the circumstances and sacrifices – to be successful in pursuit of their dreams.
Dr. Chen noted that she was so inspired with Ms. Pabona’s work and dedication that she had learned a lot about the lives of Filipino HSWs in Hong Kong, and that she no longer sees them just as migrant workers but also people with skills, talents and dreams.
Both Mr. Rispens and Dr. Chen commended the Consulate for its initiative to celebrate women and their contribution to the community by providing a venue to showcase their talents.
A native of La Union, Philippines, Ms. Pabona is a certified computer technician who developed a passion for photography. She worked in Singapore as a domestic helper for four years before transferring to Hong Kong in 2013.
Her photos and triumph, featured in the Chinese-language edition of National Geographic for February 2018, was covered not only by Hong Kong-based Filipino community media like Hong Kong Daily and The Sun, but also established English language publications like South China Morning Post, Asia Times, and the Esquire magazine.
Aside from her National Geographic Award, she was named 2018 International Photographer of the Year by Gawad America Awards in the United States.
As her way of giving back, she conducts photography workshops for fellow OFWs, like the session she gave on 17 March 2019 at the Consulate Gallery. According to her, this is her way of sharing her knowledge and inspiring others. Ms. Pabona plans on pursuing photography full-time after completing her contract this June.
The Babae, Ipagbunyi exhibit and photography workshop was attended by more than 300 guests the consular corps, civil society, arts and photography practitioners and members of the Filipino Community.
The activity is the Consulate’s main event for Women’s Month and was organized under the auspices of its Gender and Development Program.
