MANILA, Philippines — Every family has its share of memories, captured through tons of photographs displayed on the walls, neatly organized on shelves, or neatly tucked into an album or scrapbook. Photos of holidays taken, occasions celebrated, milestones achieved — all of these belong to every family’s cherished possessions.

“I’m an evangelist of family pictures because I believe everyone has to have their photo taken together as a family,” says Harvey Chua, who teaches photography at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). DLS-CSB is the first school to offer a full course on photography.

The program started three years ago and it recently graduated its first batch. An advocate of family togetherness, Harvey says every family should have in their lifetime at least one portrait taken. “This is what I always push for in our own family and in any family for that matter, to have a family portrait. Photographs not only preserve special moments but they also preserve important memories,’’ Harvey adds.

Colors of Hope

Harvey is the wife of well-known photographer and advocate John K. Chua, the one responsible for Photography with a Difference (PWD). She is a photographer herself and John’s strongest ally in his advocacies.

Intending to echo her husband’s advocacy among her students, Harvey thought of Colors of Hope, a photography session for the child patients of Kythe Foundation and their families. The project is being mounted in partnership with the Canon Advocacy Team and SM Program on Disability Affairs. Kythe Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit organization that provides psychosocial care to chronically-ill children in some government hospitals.

Most of the patients under the organization’s care are from underprivileged families. And for most of them, it is their first time to have a family portrait. “I learned about Flashes of Hope, it is an American foundation and they take pictures of children with cancer. These are individual portraits of children.

But I really wanted familes.

Malungkot na minsan nawawala na ‘yung bata, walang naiiwan kahit isang litrato,” Harvey shares. Harvey’s students at DLS-CSB took the lead and organized this special photo shoot for patients and their families. The first batch was composed of 20 Kythe patients from the National Children’s Hospital.

“We want this done with 20 different colleges and universities that have Fine Arts or photography. There are 200 children and we’re dividing them in 20s so that’s 10 sessions throughout a year. This is the first and this is a student-led advocacy,” shares Harvey, who adds that University of Santo Tomas and Assumption College have already showed interest in the project.

A Day of Firsts and Fun

Last August 6, the first photo session took place and it turned out to be a very memorable day for the studentphotographers, the child patients, and their families.

The conference hall of the National Children’s Hospital in Quezon City was turned into a three-studio set-up — one for photographer volunteer and Canon Ambassador Pilar Tuason, one for the students, and one for the Canon A Team.

“In the activities of PWD, t h e children are brought out of the hospital and are taken to places that they want to go to like the Manila Zoo, Ocean Park, or they fly in planes. But not all the children are given the opportunity to go. Some of them are not even allowed to leave the hospital lest they contact infection from the outside world. So we thought of setting this up indoors at maski grabe ang condition ng bata, puwede makunan so everybody will get a chance,” Harvey shares.

The studios were set up, with various toys that the children can play with or take home as a reward after a successful photo shoot.

There were even clowns and magicians for the kids’ entertainment!

Since it was difficult to photograph children, especially the younger ones, photographers had to resort to some silly tactics just to produce a smile on their faces.

Kythe volunteers were also present during the project.

It was the first time for 10 yearold James Ferrera and his family to have a portrait professionally taken. James, who has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), posed with his parents and three brothers, flashing a smile that the photographers attest was the biggest smile among the patients that day! Prior to the shoot, SM gave each family gift certificates to buy matching clothes for the special photo shoot.

“First time namin magpa family portrait. Excited si James nung nalaman niya kasi lalo na sa ganyan kapag na iimbitahan siya sa parties, mga events sa labas, dun siya tuwang-tuwa parang hindi na niya naaalala na may sakit siya kapag may ginagawa siya,” shares Melanie Ferrera, James’ mom.

James was diagnosed with ALL when he was five years old and since then, he has been undergoing endless tests and treatment. He has recently stopped his chemotherapy treatment but is still on medication for the swelling beside his right ear.

His mother, a simple housewife and his father, a driver, work hard to make both ends meet for their family and for James’ treatment. But on that day, everything seemed to have been put aside. The parents were just happy to see James smiling even for a day.

What a Life-changing experience

Harvey says that the project was not a requirement for her students but they nevertheless enthusiastically volunteered. “I said it has to come from their hearts. It’s not required. It warrants no extra points. It has to come from love,” Harvey explains.

Senior AB Photography student Joey Alvero says they realized the value of photograph to the children and their family after they initially visited the hospital in the planning stage of the project.

The students also had to undergo several workshops for portraiture under the tutelage of Pilar Tuason and Rochelle Espiritu, photographer and DLS-CSB part-time faculty. They also had a seminar with Kythe to make sure they know the protocols in dealing with a patient.

“While I was taking their picture, I realized that I was asking the family to be happy and to look at the camera.

It was much different than I’ve ever done before because although the child is happy, you can see that the families are pushing themselves even when they were already tired because they love their child so much,’’ observes 21-year-old third year Photography student Artu Nepomuceno.

At the end of the day, the photos that had been taken by the students and Pilar Tuason were printed by Canon on-the- spot and were handed to the families. They just brought home with them a lasting remembrance of one very fine day in their lives.