Tender Resilience Wins Sorsogon City Leg of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk 2025

Sorsogon City- After a careful review and deliberation by a panel of judges composed of practicing documentary photographers, visual communications experts, and the local Walk Leader, “Tender Resilience” by Christopher D. Leyson was selected as the winning entry of the Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk – Sorsogon City Edition, held last October 4, 2025.

Christopher D. Leyson is a freelance photographer and owner of CDL Photography from Bacon, Sorsogon City. He is also a proud member of Litratistang Bikolnon and Mayon Photography Club Inc. As the local winner, his entry will advance to the global competition of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk, where the grand prize winners will be selected by Scott Kelby himself.

The Sorsogon City leg joined thousands of photographers worldwide in the annual celebration of creativity and community. It was led by the Kurit-Lagting Art Collective in partnership with Delta Beta Omega (DBO) and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines Bicol Chapter (CAP Bicol), organized through the Sorsogon Initiatives for Culture and Arts Development (SICAD) and supported by Gadgetry City, Soffie’s, Koala Project, Project Mars, Rhymes of Peg (ROP), Sorsogon Arts Council, and Kuya Tonzkie Foodhouse. The walk began at the Sorsogon State University Pavilion and culminated at the Sorsogon Baywalk (Rompeolas), offering participants the opportunity to capture the city’s vibrant coastal life and local culture.

The local theme, “Through the Lens of Truth: Responsible, Reliable, and Culturally Aware Storytelling,” emphasized photography as both a creative and ethical practice that celebrates truth, responsibility, and cultural identity. Participants came from across the province and neighboring regions such as Albay, Camarines Sur, and Pampanga, showing how art can bridge communities through shared vision and collaboration.

Leyson’s photo, Tender Resilience, portrays three children seated on a patch of greenery, quietly gazing in the same direction. The image captures tenderness and solidarity, reflecting how simple acts of care can embody strength amid social and environmental challenges. It stands as a visual reminder of the everyday beauty, struggles, and resilience found in local communities.

The event also underscored the role of local artists and collectives in socially engaged art. According to Judy Azul of Kurit-Lagting, “This Photowalk is more than just taking pictures. It is about reclaiming the power of images to tell stories that matter.” CAP Bicol member Allan Abrigo added that art continues to be “a tool for truth-telling,” while Ruth Jocutan of ROP and John Vergel Doctor of DBO highlighted how it provides young people with a voice for creative collaboration and social awareness.

In Sorsogon, the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk began in 2012, initiated by Geri Matthew “Choi” Carretero, the first walk leader and co-founder of Kurit-Lagting. Since then, it has grown into a vibrant community event that connects local photographers with a global creative movement. Launched in 2007 by renowned photographer and educator Scott Kelby, the Worldwide Photowalk has become the largest social photography event in the world, attracting over 24,000 participants annually.

The Kurit-Lagting Art Collective is a collaborative community of Bicolano artists from Sorsogon, Albay, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Camarines provinces, united by their advocacies on human rights and the environment. The collective is part of the Sorsogon Arts Council and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines Bicol Chapter (CAP-Bicol).

The Concerned Artists of the Philippines Bicol Chapter (CAP-Bicol), formed in October 2020, is one of the newest chapters of CAP. It brings together artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, and cultural workers from diverse disciplines who share a commitment to a nationalist, people-oriented art and culture. CAP was co-founded by National Artist for Film Lino Brocka, who was born in Sorsogon.

On May 28, 2025, Kurit-Lagting and CAP-Bicol were recognized by Sorsogon State University as outstanding partners during the launch of its BANAAG Research Center and Community Lifelong Learning Center at the College of Teacher Education.

The Delta Beta Omega Sorsogon (DBO) is a brotherhood-based collective with deep roots in Sorsogon’s local communities. Since 2002, its members, drawn from different backgrounds, have been actively involved in grassroots initiatives, community development, and cultural engagement, fostering solidarity and collective action across the province.