My Darkroom Philippines

14/06/2026

Alalayan
Photograph by Tito Sanqui Jr. |

Tito Sanqui Jr.’s Alalayan reflects on community as something strengthened through mutual support, shared struggle, and respect for one another’s differences.

The work reminds us that a true community is not only formed by common interests, but by the willingness to stand together when something needs to be fought for. Even with differences in belief, background, and experience, community asks us to continue offering respect, attention, and care to one another.

At its heart, Alalayan speaks to the quiet responsibility of helping each other move forward — through both victories and losses.

See this work in person as part of the Community Exhibit, currently on view at Man-apsol, Baguio — alongside photographs that honor the many forms of support, belonging, and shared life that make a community whole.

12/06/2026

Innabuyog Dagiti Bantay
Photograph by Giovani Valdriz | .jpg

Giovani Valdriz’s Innabuyog Dagiti Bantay features the riverside youth fishing community of Poblacion, Bacnotan, La Union, where friendship, labor, and shared tradition come together.

The photograph shows young people fishing and harvesting mussels, or tirem in Ilocano — a familiar pastime that also reflects the value of innabuyog: the idea that labor is shared, never isolated.

Through these images, community is seen not only as a group of people, but as a shared way of living — a sense of belonging carried through culture, work, and the everyday practices passed down across generations.

See this work in person as part of the Community Exhibit, currently on view at Man•Apsol Baguio — alongside other photographs that celebrate the many ways community is lived, shared, and remembered.

09/06/2026

07/06/2026

INTIMATE COMMUNITY EXHIBIT OPENS AT MAN.APSOL BRENT ROAD!

On an overcast Saturday morning, a small community of analog film shooters gathered at the 2nd Floor Conference Room at Man•Apsol Brent Road to formally open a community exhibit of silver gelatin prints.

All of the exhibited prints had been personally chosen by the community during the recently concluded Community Voting Night at the same venue. Once chosen to be exhibited, the negatives were then printed by participants themselves in a pop-up darkroom set up in Man.apsol.

The community exhibit was sponsored by Patrick Wong, the owner of Man.apsol, in celebration of the cafe's 2nd anniversary. Refreshing drinks and Man.apsol's signature appetizers were served at the cozy conference room located on the 2nd floor of the cafe. The same venue will house the prints for an extended period of time.

The community enjoyed the more intimate space of the exhibit as the room let a lot of light and laughter flow freely as the morning went on.

Thank you to Patrick and Man.apsol for the continued support of the many different communities around Baguio. Thank you to the core group of Film Dorks for their steadfast assistance in setting up the event!

Photos by Ian Mangaoang

04/06/2026

I haven't used my darkroom in a year! Part 1

03/06/2026

COMMUNITY EXHIBIT at Man•Apsol Brent Road on June 6!

Like a phoenix rising from ashes, so do these test strips find a new life in announcing a collection of silver gelatin prints to be exhibited at the second floor of Man.apsol Brent Road as part of their 2nd anniversary celebrations.

Here's what you should know for June 6, 2026 (SATURDAY)

10:30 A.M. - EXHIBIT OPENING in MAN.APSOL BRENT ROAD
12:00 N.N. - EXHIBIT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

*Exhibit runs for a limited time only*

All silver gelatin prints on exhibit were printed by the participants in a pop-up darkroom placed in the basement of Man.apsol.

Thank you once again to Patrick Wong of Man.apsol for sponsoring the chemicals, paper & framing needed to set up the event!

Thank you to the core group for their continued support! Without you guys, nothing will move!

Thank you to Russel A and his daughters for the kick ass event poster!

31/05/2026

DARKROOM PRINTING CONTINUES FOR UPCOMING EXHIBIT AT Man•Apsol!

Silver gelatin prints are being churned out non-stop by the community in preparation for the exhibit opening this June 6!

After the recently concluded community voting, the 15 entries with the most number of votes were scheduled to be printed in the pop-up darkroom in Manapsol. The entrants, together with the core group of the Baguio Film Dorks, dove into the darkroom to make 11x14 silver gelatin prints from the negatives of participants.

Thank you to the core group, Russel, Ian, Jason, Gari, Faith & Andreo for taking the time from your busy schedules to assist the participants in printing their entries! For those of you who don’t know, we do this for no profit and on our precious time all for the love of the art.

Thank you to Patrick Wong of Man.apsol for graciously providing us with space for the pop up darkroom at your cafe.

Stay tuned for announcements for the JUNE 6 EXHIBIT OPENING & PHOTOWALK!

Photos by Ian M

15/05/2026

Community Voting Night at Manapsol!

To kick off Man•Apsol 2nd Year Anniversary (May 17), the Baguio Film Dorks, a community of analog photography enthusiasts in the City of Pines, gathered at Manapsol Brent Road to take part in the Community Voting for the upcoming silver gelatin print exhibit at the same cafe.

What is Community Voting?

The community was able to submit scans of their black and white negatives as a response to the open call for entries for film photos corresponding to the theme of "Community" (Fun fact, Man.apsol means "to meet" in Ibaloi). As part of our vision to have an exhibit where the community themselves chooses the photos which to exhibit (a direct response to "gatekeeping"), only community members who submitted photos to the open call were able to take part in the voting (we like to call this a part of their "suffrage").

Out of 38 entries, only the top 15 were chosen to proceed to the next step which was printing in a pop-up darkroom that will be stationed in Manapsol for 2 weeks before the exhibit opening.

Entrants will be able to print their negatives in the pop-up darkroom with the guidance of our core group members. Their prints will then be framed and exhibited in Manapsol on June 6, 2026.

The Top 15 Entrants Are:

Gari Buenavista
Faith Erasmo
Ian Mangaoang
Tito Sanqui Jr
Russel Ariola
She Escobar
Brian Roldan
Nikka Givero
Andreo Bongco
Jason Asiong
Giovani Valdriz
Michael Hall
Jesse Pineda
Kathlyn Clarianes
Jerome Martinez

*We will be contacting the Top 15 entrants soon to schedule your actual pop-up darkroom printing days*

Photos by Ian Mangaoang

Thank you to Patrick Wong of Manapsol for his continued support of the Baguio Film Dorks. (This is our second pop up darkroom event with him). Thank you to Ronald of Filmfolk for the Ilford Pop Up Darkroom, we continue to use this for community activations. Thank you to the core group for their never ending support for the event.

10/05/2026

there's a hassy in there