Building Streets on the Street, The Philippines

We recently returned from an unforgettable family trip to The Philippines, my wife Shana's homeland. I can only describe it as a sensory, visual, spiritual and emotional overload. Our youngest sumed it up perfectly one morning as we scootered along a country road surrounded by rice fields, coconut trees and a turquoise sea in the foreground. ‘Daddy I can’t fully process that what I'm seeing everywhere is actually real, it’s all too beautiful. I just want to photograph everything'. 

From the bustling street life to serene tropical islands, endlessly lush mangroves to breathtaking coral reefs, the bluest lagoons to the whitest beaches, and the people. Filipinos are the warmest, most welcoming, peaceful and hospitable humans you could ever wish to meet.

I brought a bunch Arckit on our trip hoping that we might get an opportunity to bring it into a local school or village community along the way. One morning while in Cebu, I went for a stroll into some of the back and side streets of the city. Having done similarly years earlier in Manila, I knew I would find a hive of bustling activity and smiling faces.

It was Easter time and so people were in relaxed mood chatting on their door steps, playing chess on corners, singing karoake in nooks and crannies, preparing food and fanning the flames of smokey grills (one man was cleaning out some chicken heads in his doorway, nothing goes to waste here), hair braiding and hair cutting under the scorching sun, shooting pool and dunking basketballs.

I stopped a while to watch a game on a court next to a little chapel. An inquisitive gentleman approached me wondering what I was doing in his neighbourhood, Citio San Roque. He told me that not many foreigners visit their community and expressed a genuine gratitude for doing so. I was taken aback by that and thanked him for spending time with me as we parted.

I continued on and came by a little shop. A man inside peered through a metal grill and smiled. LangLang asked where I was from and so we got chatting. Before long I was surrounded by children and their parents greeting me. I was struck by their enthusiasm and inquisitive nature. They all made great efforts to speak and their English was of a high level. All of a sudden I had a light bulb moment. Maybe we could do something on the street? They were familiar with Lego but didn't have any. I asked if they’d like to play with a similar product and they excitedly and simultaneously exclaimed ‘Yes’. LangLang said I could borrow his table and so I promised them that I would be back later.