PASAY CITY — Four years of the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presidency are now being told through photographs, as the Presidential Photojournalists Association (PPA) opened “In Focus: Marcos Presidency,” an exhibit showcasing major moments captured by journalists assigned to cover Malacañang.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos led the opening of the exhibit on August 13 at the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Hall in Pasay City, giving the public a chance to see the administration through the cameras of professional photojournalists.
The exhibit was organized ahead of World Photography Day on August 19 and features photographs documenting significant events and milestones of the Marcos administration during its first four years. The images include the President’s official engagements, interactions with Filipinos, meetings with foreign leaders and other major activities of his administration.
More than just photographs
Organizers say the exhibition is also a tribute to the role of professional photojournalism in preserving the country’s visual record.
PPA president Noel Pabalate, a photographer with The Philippine Star, highlighted the importance of professional photographers at a time when social media and artificial intelligence are rapidly changing how images are produced and consumed.
The exhibit therefore goes beyond documenting presidential appearances. It places professionally captured images alongside the broader question of how the public remembers important moments in Philippine history.
Daily Tribune likewise described the collection as a visual narrative of Marcos’ leadership and public service, while emphasizing the role of photojournalists in preserving images that can become part of the historical record.
Who captured the moments?
The exhibition brings together the work of photojournalists from several major Philippine news organizations.
Among the contributors identified by the Philippine Information Agency are Pabalate, Marianne Bermudez, Kriz John Rosales and John Ryan Baldemor of The Philippine Star; Alfredo Vicoy, Mark Louis Balmores and Santi San Juan of Manila Bulletin; Niño Jesus Orbeta of the Philippine Daily Inquirer; Jonathan Sulit of Abante; Renato Dilan and Michelle Mike Alquinto of The Manila Times; Marianita Burgos of Police Files; Revoli Cortez of Manila Standard; and Yummie Dingding and Jose Aurelio Lozano of Daily Tribune.
Their work collectively offers multiple perspectives on the same presidency—moments seen from different cameras, locations and assignments.
Marcos and First Lady tour the exhibit
During the opening, Marcos and the First Lady unveiled the exhibit’s title board, a collage of photographs representing different facets of the President’s leadership.
Marcos received a framed version of the collage, while the First Lady was presented with a crystal podium featuring a three-dimensional photograph of the First Couple. They also joined members of the PPA for a photo opportunity before touring the exhibition.
The event was attended by Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Dave Gomez, PPA president Noel Pabalate and Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano.
When and where can the public see it?
For Filipinos interested in presidential history, journalism or photography, the exhibit is open to the public free of charge from August 14 to August 30, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Mondays, at the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Hall in Pasay City.
The timing is significant as the Philippines joins the global observance of World Photography Day on August 19—a celebration that underscores photography’s ability to document events, preserve memories and shape how history is remembered.
Why this exhibit matters
Presidential events can disappear from the news cycle within hours, but photographs can survive for generations.
That is the central significance of “In Focus: Marcos Presidency.” Rather than relying solely on official statements or written accounts, the exhibit presents a visual archive of the administration as recorded by photographers who were physically present at many of its defining public events.
As artificial intelligence, manipulated images and social media increasingly influence the way Filipinos encounter information, the work of professional photojournalists carries another layer of importance: establishing a visual record of events through on-the-ground documentation.
For the PPA, the cameras are not merely recording the present.
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