MANILA, Philippines - Amer Amor, a 31-year-old journalism instructor at the University of the Philippines in Baguio, would have been thrilled that his entry to a nationwide photography competition emerged as winner, if not for his untimely death.
His entry, entitled “Return to Paradise,†received posthumous awards during the awarding rites of 2nd Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor)’s National Photography Competition held on June 6 at the Airport Casino Filipino in Parañaque City.
His entry was voted “Most Popular Photo†in the Mobile Category by Facebook users and one of the 12 grand winners in the said category.
The photo, which garnered over 4,500 likes on Pagcor’s Facebook page, shows the idyllic Cadlao Island in El Nido with a mother and child taking a dip in the clear waters of Palawan at sunset.
Amor figured in a motorbike accident on May 15 in his hometown in Donsol, Sorsogon.
“We were clueless that my brother joined the competition. We were mourning his passing when we received a message from Pagcor that Amer is a grand finalist in the contest. We are very thankful to Pagcor because they recognized our brother’s talent. Even in his death, he still gave honor to our family,†his sister Rasyl said.
Amor, also known as “juanderkid†in his travel blog, was a whale shark conservation advocate and Donsol tourism promoter who would always brag about the beauty of Donsol sunset in his blog and other social media accounts.
The posthumous awards were received by his mother Sylvia and Rasyl. Amor also received P35,000 cash prize plus a trophy for being one of the grand winners and for winning the Most Popular Photo in the Mobile Category.