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IT was
the stunning landscape of
Mount
Pulag
that made Tommy Hafalla decide to pursue
photography way back in 1978. Trading his
aircraft-engineering diploma for a camera, he would make
it his life’s work to document his beloved Cordilleras
in the way that no artist has done, with more devotion
to his craft and dedication to the culture and tradition
of the region. Such is his love for the people and their
place that he has made Sagada his second home (Tommy was
born and raised in Baguio) and earned him the title of
an adopted Kankana-ey. Now, this Sagada artist brings
his creative heritage to Manila audiences via his
photography students through Foto Baryo: A Three-Part
Exhibition of Students’ Works From the Tanauan,
Parañaque and Sagada Projects, a photo exhibit that will
be on view at the
Cultural
Center
of the Philippines (CCP) from June 5 to July 6.
“The
first time when I was in
Mount
Pulag,
I was stunned by the immensity and beauty of nature. I
was in awe beyond words,” recalls Hafalla. Since he
admits that he does not have the gift for writing, and
neither is he adept in painting, Hafalla felt that the
best way to capture what he saw in Mount Pulag was
through a camera lens. Unfortunately, he did not own one
at the time but, within the year, he got himself a
camera and promptly went back to Mount Pulag.
It was
to be the start of his lifelong affair with the
Cordilleras. Still, he felt that focusing on the
landscape would be limiting the story of the
Cordilleras; its people had to be in the pictures.
Visitors to Sagada today are likely to find the
realization of his artistic vision in the postcards and
framed pictures that one can find in stores that vividly
depict the people and scenery that is uniquely of our
northern tribal lands.
Of
course, initially, Hafalla had reservations about
intruding on the lives of these people. He knew it was
imperative that he earn their trust and confidence, and
thus became a frequent Sagada visitor. Eventually, he
decided to get his own place and become a permanent
fixture in the community. It was through his immersion
in the local culture and his growing knowledge of the
mountain terrain of the Cordillera provinces—Benguet,
Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao—allowed
him to understand and appreciate the various tribal
mores and traditions.
And so
began for Hafalla his more than three decades-long
visual and audio documentation of the different tribes,
whose collective history goes a long way back before the
coming of any colonizers to the archipelago. His
personal archive of photographs and recorded materials
are a rich trove of tribal lore and culture that he
hopes would be passed on to the next generations of
Cordillerans.
 Five
years ago the self-taught photographer decided to
conduct a workshop among locals “in order for them to
appreciate and learn the documentation skills that I
used to record their way of life.” This became the
cornerstone of what will become the upcoming Foto Baryo
exhibit at the CCP. “I will not be here forever, or I
may be someplace else, so this is my means of giving
back to them what I know,” Hafalla says wistfully.
This
adopted Kankana-ey photographer is still one of the few
in his craft who has not succumbed to the lure of
digital photography. In fact, he still uses a 35-mm film
camera and prints his photos in his own darkroom. Teased
about where he gets his paper, he tells us that there
are still stores in Manila that sell these. He goes a
step further by combining his own chemical solution
because “I find the commercial developing products quite
expensive.”
His
photo equipment may be a throwback to the past but the
idea to share and teach the locals the fine art of
photography has caught fire. During one of his stays in
Baguio, he met New York-based photographer Fernando
Afable, who was so impressed by his advocacy that he
decided to donate some photography equipment. In fact,
Afable was so amazed by Hafalla’s dedication that he
decided to replicate the photography workshop in Tanauan,
Batangas, and in Parañaque. They also use
black-and-white photography as their medium.
“I am
not expecting that everyone who comes to my class will
become a ‘documentarist’, but I want them to use
photography as a tool [to record their culture],”
Hafalla explains. Asked why he prefers black and white
over color, he explains, “It is every day that you see
colors and you interpret a scene in shades rather than
in hues, so I see colors in black and white.” He adds,
“Going on to the technical aspects, colors in
photographs would fade in time; black and white is more
preferable.”
Hafalla
is the cocurator of the Sagada segment of the Foto Baryo
exhibit. There has been no turning back for Hafalla
since he first fell in love with the Cordilleras and its
people some 30 years ago. His passion is such that one
of the advocacies he espouses is “to correct the
misrepresentation of the region.” And there are a lot.
But, for now, he wants to be remembered as someone who
unselfishly shared what he knows in order for the world
and the next generations to know how rich and varied our
culture is. Even if they will see it in black and white.
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