203rd Chilean National Day

During the opening concert of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, I was invited by Chilean Ambassador Roberto Mayorga to be part of the celebrations for the 203^rd Chilean National Day to be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He proudly said that during this event, the winners of the Smiles for the World photography contest would be awarded. No one knew at the time how controversial this affair would turn out to be due to the winning photo being plagiarized.

I don’t like to dwell on the controversy surrounding the previously announced winner Mark Joseph Solis in here since the main parties involved are already in the process of moving on from all the mess that this scandal has made. I just want to mention that the updated list of winners now have Medardo Marquez winning the first prize, taking with him US$1000, along with the trip to Chile and Brazil. Second prize goes to Hannah Maria Reyes while Arnold Jumpay finds himself among the top three winners now. The winning photos along with other pre-selected finalists were on display at the CCP Little Theater Lobby for around a couple of weeks. The photos can still be viewed at the Calidad Humana website.

 Eventual first prize winner Medardo Marquez (3rd from left)
receiving his prize during the awards ceremony

Remaining unfazed, Ambassador Mayorga’s is moving forward with his Calidad Humana Project with another Smiles for the World competition. After the poetry, essay and photography contests in the past few years, it’s now time for painters to capture in canvas the calidad humana of Filipinos through their smiles. According to the website calidad humana is literally translated as the quality of being human and loosely translated as strength of character, may refer to the sum total of distinctively human characteristics that dignify and ennoble a person and enable him to contribute to a culture of excellence either in his immediate, mediate, or broader environment … either in unusual or day-to-day situations and circumstances. It is not a state a person is in but a constant movement to attain the state of human perfection.

Consul Maria Fernanda Vila, Ambassador Roberto Mayorga
and RAd

The Smiles for the World painting contest is presented by JAV Talent Unlimited Foundation, Inc. in cooperation with the Embassy of Chile and Bravo Filipino Magazine. The contest runs from October 2013 to March 2014 and is open to all college-level students currently enrolled in duly recognized art schools and colleges in the Philippines. Contest rules can be found here.

I guess that having a painting contest this time significantly lowers the chances of having a completely plagiarized work. It really impresses me how Ambassador Mayorga showed compassion in dealing with the controversy regarding the photo contest. He showed what calidad humana truly is by offering Mark Joseph Solis a chance to redeem himself at a time when it’s easy to be mean and disparaging.