Photo Voices International

A powerful photo exhibit, Sulyap: Katotohanan sa Mata ng Kabataan, showcasing realities faced by young Palaweños – including early pregnancy, child labor, poverty, and mental health struggles.

Organized by Roots of Health in collaboration with Photovoices International, JCI Puerto Princesa Oil, and the Puerto Princesa City Youth Development Office, the exhibit featured the work of 13 youth advocates who used photography to tell narratives of hardship and resilience. The visual storytellers aimed to spark conversation and action on the systemic issues affecting young people in the province.

Social Issue: Teen Pregnancy | Pangarap at pananagutan: Ang Kuwento ni Trixie

©Dan_0329/ROH-PVI Palawan/2024

Si Trixie na ngayon ay labing siyam na taong gulang, hawak hawak ang bote ng gatas at damit ng kanyang anak. Nabuntis siya nang siya ay labing pitong taong gulang kaya naman kinailangan niyang tumigil sa pag-aaral upang gampanan ang pagiging batang ina. Ang kwento ni Trixie ay kwento ng maraming kabataan na nahaharap sa maagang responsibilidad.

Social Issue: Gender Equality | Access Denied

©Sinag/ROH-PVI Palawan/2024

Typically, universities have a ‘No ID, No Entry ‘ policy for security. However, a transgender woman was denied entry at the school gate, not because she didn’t have an ID, but because she was expressing her gender identity.

Social Issue: Teen Pregnancy | Pagbangon at Pangarap

©Devorah/ROH-PVI Palawan/2024

Ako si Devorah—isang bata, isang ina, at isang estudyante. Kasalukuyan akong nag-aaral habang inaalagaan at ginagabayan ang aking anak na nagsisimula na rin sa kanyang edukasyon. Sa kabila ng lahat ng hamon, patuloy akong nangangarap, hindi lamang para sa aking sarili kundi lalo na para sa kinabukasan ng aking anak.

Social Issue: Child Labor | Aged Laborer: The Story in Tatay Ben’s Eyes

©Ruvie Tani/ROH-PVI Palawan/2024

Tatay Ben, sixty-four years old, bearing the weight of years spent in physically demanding work, culminating in a debilitating stroke at age fifty-eight, served as a stark reminder of the hardships faced by many. His life, marked by poverty and the absence of formal education, he started working at just eleven years old, helping his family in their bibingka business. Even now, despite his age and health challenges, he still works hard—this time making daing (dried fish)—just to help provide for his family.

Social Issue: Child Labor | Forced to Work, Forced to Grow

©Kyla/ROH-PVI Palawan/2024

“Je is a 14-year-old who began working as a dishwasher at a carenderia when he was just 12, to contribute to his family’s daily basic needs, reflecting the harsh realities of child labor, which is driven by systemic poverty, inadequate education, and weak legal enforcement. “Je” represents many children forced to grow up too quickly due to their circumstances.

Social Issue: Child Labor | It Can End With You

©Mc/ROH-PVI Palawan/2024

Jocelyn grew up facing poverty, but she never let it bring her down and reach her dreams. As the youngest child and the only girl among the seven siblings, she took the responsibility of helping her mother earn extra money by making and selling kakanin. While other kids played, she was out working, determined to support her family and make life a little easier for her mother.

Social Issue: Poor Sanitation | Trashes to Ashes

©Riz Moris/ROH-PVI Palawan/2024

What we throw today can harm us tomorrow

Social Issue: Women’s Health | Uncharted Map

©Louredette Dhae/ROH-PVI Palawan/2024

Deep inside I knew my body is telling me something, trying to open my eyes, giving signs, the pain, changes, and the sleepless night have always been the tell tale signs.

Social Issue: Poor Sanitation | Perseverance

It all starts within.

Social Issue: HIV | Isang Aral ng Pagbangon

Ako si Nick hindi ko tunay na pangalan, 31 taong gulang, nakatira sa syudad ng Puerto Princessa, Palawan na isa sa may mataas ang kaso o bilang ng HIV sa MIMAROPA. Nagsimula akong makipagtalik sa edad na 15, kailanman hindi ko naisip kumonsulta para alamin ang aking HIV status. Hanggang sa nagkaroon ako ng karelasyon—pagkalipas ng dalawang taon, nagpasya kaming magpa-test. Hindi ko inasahan, pareho kaming nagpositibo.

Social Issue: Mental Health | Turning Pain into Purpose

Joy, a mental health advocate whose passion stems from deeply personal experiences – her mother’s act of kindness taught her the importance of seeing the person behind the struggle and the tragic loss of her brother to suicide. “Losing my brother left a hole in my heart that will never truly heal,” Joy says, her eyes searching for understanding in the words she shares. “But it also made me more determined to help others. Joy found new strength in it. She found PURPOSE.

Social Issue: Child Labor | Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

A mirror holds more than a reflection, it holds a past that lingers, a childhood trapped in labor and longing.

Social Issue: Mental Health | Unseen Burdens: The Weight of a Student’s World

Only when all is done does she finally sit down?