Smiles for the world plagiarized photo is showing the Calidad Humana we have as Filipinos?

"In crisis like this, come enlightening opportunities."  That's the most powerful line from the passionate and full of diplomacy Chilean Ambassador Roberto Mayorga as reply to my email sent to him yesterday. I told him that I'm sad for what happened and that not all Filipinos are like Mark Solis who joined and won the Internet based Calidad Humana "Smiles for the World" photo contest with a photo not his but belong to a Brazillian Photographer who later received an apology letter from Solis. 

The photo from Flickr under Gregory John Smith which he took in 2006.

Photo from GMA News: Ambassador Roberto Mayorga and Mark Solis at CCP during the awards night

I feel sad because of the fact that I myself had a multiple meetings with Ambassador Mayorga and his staff to spread the information about the photo contest. I even organized a media event for this project at his house at Forbes Park. I felt that I am also responsible for knowing if all photos submitted were all original and sad knowing it's an International event and a Filipino did a surprising photo plagiarism. 

Ambassador Roberto Mayorga and me during our first meeting at the Embassy of Chile

Photo taken from the web: Winning Photo?

 Below is the Press Statement from the Embassy of Chile on Calidad Humana Project Smiles for the World.

September 23 (Manila) The Embassy of Chile, together with the partners of the Calidad Humana Project, would like to express its gratitude to the Filipino people and our media partners who have provided their support for this initiative, including giving information regarding the irregularity of the photo submitted by Mr. Mark Joseph Solis, who was declaredwinner of the “Smiles for the World” photo competition.

Their support affirms the Filipino’s innate Calidad Humana, which is translated as strength of human character and all that contributes to a culture of excellence and a life of virtue well spent.

In accordance with the information that we have obtained confirming that Mr. Solis indeed plagiarized the work of Mr. Gregory Smith, the committee is in the process of re-evaluating the other submissions and has decided to revoke the prize issued to Solis. After due evaluation, a new set of winners will be announced.

Part of Calidad Humana involves living with integrity and upholding the values of the Filipino people. Obviously, Mr. Solis has failed to abide by this and we are considering taking legal action against him.

According to Ambassador Mayorga, “we must take this situation as a sign inviting Filipinos to an open discussion about the urgency to protect the Filipino people from the erosion of theirCalidad Humana. Filipinos still have innate values, such as honesty, compassion, and resiliency, although there are exceptions such as this case of plagiarism…this case must strengthen our faith and make us aware that we are in front of a hard challenge to take care and preserve the Calidad Humana that the majority of Filipinos have.”

With the Calabarzon and Manila based media during our meeting at Forbes Park with the Calidad Humana Team, Ambassador Roberto Mayorga and his wife, Former Board Member of Laguna and now Asec General of Philippine Red Cross Neil Nocon, UPLB professors and some of my friends.

From the official website:

“Calidad Humana” is human compassion, sense of humaneness, strength of character, and human tone. It is unique to the world. It is expressed through our cordiality and friendliness, our positive outlook in life, and SMILES on our faces. “Calidad Humana,” literally translated as the quality of being human and loosely translated as strength of character, may refer to the sum total of distinctively human characteristics that dignify and ennoble a person and enable him to contribute to a culture of excellence either in his immediate, mediate, or broader environment … either in unusual or day-to-day situations and circumstances. It is not a state a person is in but a constant movement to attain the state of human perfection. “Calidad Humana” marks the person noble in his dealings, steadfast in his convictions, and unfaltering in his equanimity, without any pretensions … everything that contributes in the end to a life well-spent. One need not have most, or much less all, positive traits in heroic proportions, nor would one need to be exempt from defects of character. What is needed for “calidad humana” is a quality or a cluster of qualities that steadily stands out in one’s personal and social life, hand-in-hand with an unwavering struggle for the other human virtues.

Join now! $1,000.00 Prize for the Filipino Photo Essay Contest

Around Philippines and whenever there's a chance to meet respectable and empowered individual, I made sure that I'll grab the opportunity and meet them with a smile. "Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. or "People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile" from the unknown author, these are just some of the proofs that a smile can make a difference or a smile was the result of a good and happy experience. Filipinos are not technically defining a smile as just a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth and by flexing muscles throughout the mouth.A smile is an expression denoting pleasure, sociability, happiness, or amusement. Smiling from the dictionary could be something that is understood by everyone despite culture, race, or religion; it is internationally known. Cross-cultural studies have shown that smiling is a means of communication throughout the world.

The official poster 

The Embassies of Chile under Ambassador Roberto L. Mayorga

and Brazil, University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, University of Asia and the Pacific, Ateneo University, De La Salle University, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and The Philippine Star have joined together in a project called “Calidad Humana” , a project in order to preserve and promote the traditional human compassion, friendship and sense of humanity of the Filipino people and in order for everyone around the globe to understand how Filipinos can still manage to smile inspite of natural calamities and problems. With this goal, a photo contest, “Smiles for the World” has been launched with a first prize award of US$1000.

Ambassador of Chile Roberto L. Mayorga and me 

Ambassador Mayorga welcomed me with a smile when I reached the Chilean Embassy today, November 15, 2012 to discuss the dissemination of information to different social media practitioners that could give more entrants and to give awareness not only to the Filipino people but to the world the positive outlook of Filipinos in life and to encourage all the races to be the same in spite of the different experiences we are facing everyday. The project would like you to share your photo to represent the cheerfulness of a Filipino and to address your message to the rest of the world. Tell stories and let the rest of the world to know the uniqueness of that smile you took.

Deadline for submission will be on February 28, 2013 while awarding ceremonies are expected to be held in the first week of July. The cash awards are US$ 1,000 for first place; US$ 600 for second place; and $ 400 for third place. There shall likewise be non-cash prizes.

Competition Rules

1. This year’s competition is open to all Filipino citizens, regardless of age, place of residence, and occupation.

2. There shall be only one entry per person, submitted in soft copy to the following address: http://projectch.com

3. An entry, to be considered, shall comprise the following:

a. An original 8×10 photo showing one or more Filipinos at home, in school, at work, at play, at leisure, or in portraiture. The photography subject(s) shall be existing persons, with the setting identifiable upon request of the organizer. Qualifiers and winners might have to be asked to produce 13R photo size.

b. A positive, encouraging message with no more than 140 characters (letters, numbers, and punctuation marks) in font Arial 12 spreading the smiles in the photo to the rest of the world.

c. A one to three-paragraph essay in English, with no more than 200 words (excluding punctuation marks), appropriately titled, that succinctly explains the message of the photo. While the essay shall be in English, Filipino words or terms may be used if deemed expedient by the author for absence of satisfactory equivalents in English. The concept of calidad humana (see above) should be explicit in the essay.

d. An accomplished form, see below, that indicates:

Full Name (First, Middle, and Last), Age (with Date-Month-Year of Birth)

Title of the Photo-Essay, Brand of Camera Used and Technical Settings (if any)

Home Address, Land Line, Mobile Number, and e-mail Address

Current School and/or Place of Work and Corresponding Mailing Address

Personal Certification on the originality of the photo

4. Deadline for submission is 28 February 2013; awarding ceremonies are expected to be held in the first week of July.

Entries shall be the property of the Embassy of Chile, which reserves the right to use the work, edit and publish it as deemed appropriate, but always duly acknowledging the author.

A panel of five (5) individuals shall decide on the preliminary qualifiers based on the criteria below. A final panel of five (5) judges, to be selected by the organizing committee, shall determine the winners without regard to scores earlier given to qualifying essays. Winners shall agree to be interviewed on camera on matters related to the theme of the competition

The decision of the preliminary and final panel of judges shall be deemed final.

Without attempting to give weights to the criteria for qualifiers and winners, the basis for judgment shall be as follows:

Effectiveness of the photo, with the corresponding essay, to capture the spirit behind the Filipino smile and what it stands for;

The overall quality of the photo and essay entry as a medium of expression, without necessarily appealing to technical considerations, except perhaps for grammar, mechanics, and usage in the case of the essay;

The uniqueness and impact with which the photo and the essay convey the theme of the competition

Judging shall always be on the photo and the essay in combination.

According to the project site “CALIDAD HUMANA is human compassion, sense of humaneness, strength of character, and human tone. It is unique to the world. It is expressed through our cordiality and friendliness, our positive outlook in life, and SMILES on our faces. “CALIDAD HUMANA, literally translated as the quality of being human and loosely translated as strength of character, may refer to the sum total of distinctively human characteristics that dignify and ennoble a person and enable him to contribute to a culture of excellence either in his immediate, mediate, or broader environment … either in unusual or day-to-day situations and circumstances. It is not a state a person is in but a constant movement to attain the state of human perfection.“Calidad humana marks the person noble in his dealings, steadfast in his convictions, and unfaltering in his equanimity, without any pretensions … everything that contributes in the end to LIFE WELL SPENT. “One need not have most, or much less all, positive traits in heroic proportions, nor would one need to be exempt from defects of character. What is needed for calidad humana is a quality or a cluster of qualities that steadily stands out in one’s personal and social life, hand-in-hand with an unwavering struggle for the other human virtues.”

Around Philippines, you will find Filipinos with their happy smiles in spite of the hardships or problems. We are born to be tough and to show to the world that we could do everything and we have proofs, not only around Philippines but we are scattered and proving our worth around the world.

Join the contest here:

http://projectch.com/