PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE PHILIPPINES
A BRIEF HISTORY
by Jose R. Sarmiento


In February 1951, a group of staff photographers of the major dailies and weeklies met over lunch at Ramon Lee’s Restaurant on Ronquillo Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Their mission: to form an association of press photographers which they felt must serve a sounding board for their various problems and grievances.

The group was prompted by an incident that a staff photographer assigned to cover the late President Elpidio Quirino was barred from getting near the President or even enter Malacanang.

Among the strongest proponents to form the organization were Honesto Vitug of the Chronicle, Marcelo Ablaza of The Manila Times, and Bert Garcia of the DMHM Philippines Herald.

They led the group that attended the first organizational meeting. They were later joined by several others like Felimon Tuyay, Esmeraldo Izon, Sergio Ruiz, Ignacio Santos, Antolin Bitanga, Jose Sarmiento, Rosendo Cruz, Jose Dungo, Jose del Rosario, Alfredo Santiago, Jose Vitug, Manuel del Rosario of the Manila Chronicle, Alfredo Santiago of the Manila Bulletin; Jose Vitug, Manila del Rosario of the Evening News; Eugenio Sudoy of Kislap Graphic; Manuel Alcantara, Marcial Valenzuela and Gualberto Reyes of Manila Times.


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The Press Photographers of the Philippines, Inc. (PPP) is a non-stock organization existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines with SEC registration no. CN200810802.

To view our members' works, please visit the PPP website at www.ppp.org.ph