The name Yolanda (local name of super typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines) will forever remind us how massive the typhoon was and on its wake, a scene of tragedy and lost. But for me, it will also be synonymous to Filipinos helping fellow Filipinos get up, recover, and rebuild.
A few days after the typhoon, some of the good hearted people of the Philippine wedding industry came up with a brilliant idea, a creative way of bayanihan to aid the survivors of the typhoon. The Inspire Initiative: The Inspire Couple’s Shoot Marathon is just one part of a bigger plan in gathering funds to donate to UNICEF to address the needs of the survivors. I got a message from Joed See, one of the organizers of this event, asking if I would like to be part of this. With no second thought, I said yes.
Before we started with our shoot, I asked each of the couples that were assigned to me to think of the survivors of typhoon Yolanda. Think of them not in the way how they were devastated by this calamity, but send them positive vibes and send them hope. I got chills and felt it in my bones when they looked at my lens and did just that. I reminded them that by joining this shoot, they are helping and giving hope to our kababayans who survived this tragedy, which is ultimately the goal of this event.
I’d like congratulate the organizers and all the suppliers who gave their time, effort and heart in making the Inspire Initiative a phenomenal success. What a creative way in using our talents to lend a helping hand. To all the couples who joined, THANK YOU. I know if the people who will receive the help this event has came up with, they would want to hug and thank you themselves.
