Sociology student Angelo Asuncion won the top prize (NCR) for the contest “GADtimpalak” organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).The theme for this year’s competition is “Filipino Women as Culture Bearers.”

Asuncion was the Philippine Sociological Society’s official photographer in the 2014 National Conference in MSU-General Santos City. He is a sociology student from the University of Santo Tomas.

Out of 33 entries for the photography contest, four were chosen as top winners from NCR, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

“I would like to share my humble craft and also take the opportunity to promote cultural preservation in the country,” shares Asuncion. “With my arsenal of sociological knowledge, I believe that I can express sociological ideas through creative interpretations, such as photography. During my acceptance speech during the awarding, I have emphasized my observation on the abuse and alienation of our indigenous peoples, such as Lang Dulay and the T’Boli, through tourism and urbanization. The prevailing mindset on the indigenous peoples has been labeling indigenous peoples as treasures, yet allow their homes and ancestral lands to be used and abused for the benefit of “tourism” and “development”.

Aside from photography, prizes for short documentary film and essay-writing were also awarded.