ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Arts and Culture devider Three Filipino visual storytellers recognized in Ocean Geographic's 13th annual Pictures of the Year Awards

Three Filipino visual storytellers recognized in Ocean Geographic's 13th annual Pictures of the Year Awards

Their achievements highlight the extraordinary ocean heritage of the Philippines

Published Jun 10, 2025 03:21 pm
From left Luzelle Artillero, Mark Chang, and PJ Aristorenas
From left Luzelle Artillero, Mark Chang, and PJ Aristorenas
In a stunning celebration of visual storytelling and marine conservation, Ocean Geographic proudly announces the winners of the 2025 Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year (OGPICOTY) — a competition that has, for over a decade, given voice to the ocean through the power of photography and film.
With over 10,000 submissions from 35 countries, OGPICOTY 2025 showcases the finest examples of oceanic imagery: from awe-inspiring animal behaviors to haunting scenes of loss, hope, and resilience. This year’s theme — “Celebrate the Wonders of Our Ocean with the Power of Pictures” — echoes through all the award winners.
To mark this year’s awards, Her Deepness Dr Sylvia Earle delivered an urgent message: “Let this celebration of visual brilliance also be a call to action. These images show us what’s at stake – they give us the inspiration to protect it. Let the ocean’s voice be heard in every photograph and every film we showcase in the competition. Together, may we move from wonder… to will… to action. to the world”
Mark Chang
Mark Chang
Luzelle Artillero
Luzelle Artillero
PJ Aristorenas
PJ Aristorenas
Philippine talent makes waves on the global stage
This year’s Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year (OGPICOTY) competition saw remarkable success from the Philippines, with three talented visual storytellers earning international recognition, rising above thousands of entries with their distinct perspectives and technical brilliance. Their achievements not only highlight the extraordinary ocean heritage of the Philippines but also reinforce the nation’s growing influence in global marine conservation photography.
PJ Aristorenas won the Smartphone Category with a compelling image that fused cinematic composition and marine biology, capturing Pokémon nudibranchs in the act of procreation. He will receive prizes from Divevolk. Mark Chang earned an Honorable Mention for Coral Reefs Around the World, a striking tribute to the beauty and fragility of reef ecosystems. Luzelle Tioco Artillero also received an Honorable Mention for Emerging Photographer of the Year, recognized for her unique vision and artistic command beneath the surface. Both will receive OG Expedition Vouchers as part of their award.
A  judging panel of ocean icons
Winners were selected by an esteemed jury including Dr Sylvia A. Earle, David Doubilet, Brian Skerry, Jennifer Hayes, Stephen Frink, Dr Gerry Allen, Alex Mustard, Michael AW, Dr Carden Wallace, Dr Pascal Lecocq, Valerie Taylor, Howard and Michelle Hall, and more — a collective of the world’s most respected voices in marine science and underwater art.

Related Tags

Arts and Culture
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.