Beyond its landmarks,skylines and destinations, a city is defined by its people not the nameless, faceless multitude that simply inhabit the city, but the humans that make up the city, each with their own lives and stories to tell. From the corner suites of the buildings that line its streets to the thousands of cubicles on which the economy is drawn, from its top-rated restaurants to the iconic jolly-jeeps peddling rice meals, from the gated villages and gleaming skyscrapers to the humble homes in its inner streets, the humans of Makati each have a unique story to tell.
Multi-faceted, dynamic, and diverse, Makati is defined and enriched by the people that make up the city, in the same way that the people of Makati are enriched by what the city has to offer. This symbiosis between people and the environment has created the Philippines’ foremost business, leisure, and residential address a place where humans can thrive, dream big, and make things happen; where boundaries can be crossed, friendships made, and lives lived to its full potential.
Makati has become a top urban destination at par with highly developed global cities, with its cosmopolitan and international appeal continuously attracting international companies, expats and tourists alike. There are more avenues for connection and convergence invigorating the Makati landscape, with more business and lifestyle offerings enriching the urban work experience.
To celebrate the humans that make up the soul of Makati, Make It Makati presents the Humans of Makati project, mapping the diversity of people and the contours of Makati as a city of many faces.
The exhibit will feature the works of documentary photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani, a global Filipino who made waves worldwide for her inspirational work telling the stories of migrant workers in Hong Kong, providing rare glimpses into their lives as never before seen by the world. Her works have been featured in the New York Times Lens Blog, CNN, and various international media. Moreover, she was included in the distinguished list of BBC 100 Women of the World 2015, Magnum Foundation Human Rights Fellows 2015 and 30 Under 30 Women Photographers 2016. She was also commissioned to teach photography in New York University, the same school from which she was granted a scholarship.
Bacani’s life story is as interesting as that of her subjects. Working as a migrant worker for almost a decade, she lived through the pains of her fellow domestic workers, and was a witness to the human rights violations that many of them have accepted as a way of life.
Bacani is expected to capture the raw and honest vibe of Makati through her first exhibit in the Philippines, and in the process, bring the focus to the lives of the many humans who, in their quiet way, define the city. The exhibit will present a cross-section of the Makati population, and will celebrate the lives and works of the humans that make up this city.
Among the personalities featured are celebrated chefs/restaurant owners in the city – Miko Aspiras, Pastry chef/owner of Le Petite Souffle and Scout’s Honor; Denny Antonino Chef/owner of Your Local; Young successful professionals like Gab Bustos and Thea Rivera, Proprietors of 12/10 restaurant; Jed Dy, Four-time Junior Golf World Champion; professionals who have created their names in the arts and digital publication – commercial director Sid Maderazo; Vince Golangco, Publisher and Founder of WheninManila.com, and also Mariana Zobel, 3rd generation Zobel and an Associate of Ayala Corporation.
Home to over 500,000 people and the preferred business and entertainment address of millions more, the stories of Makati are as varied, rich, and colorful as the city itself, all waiting to be told.
To learn more about Humans of Makati, visit the photo exhibit at the Ayala Triangle Gardens from January 29 until February 12, 2016.
To know more about the exhibit and the city happenings, visit www.makeitmakati.com.