State gaming regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) today announced that final judging for its photography contest for this year, which attracted 5,407 entries, has been concluded and that the winners will be made public on September 13.

“We are proud to announce that this year’s photography contest has been a tremendous success and that the 24 winners will be announced on September 13 at the National Museum of Natural History in Manila,” according to PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco.

Mr. Tengco said that the photo contest, which was divided into the conventional digital camera and mobile camera categories, required that entries feature hidden or untapped tourist destinations around the country as part of PAGCOR’s thrust to promote tourism.

“And we are pleasantly surprised to discover that, indeed, the Philippines has a lot more to offer than our traditional and popular destinations, and we believe that a lot of people would also like to fully explore these places that are featured in the contest,” Mr. Tengco said.

The PAGCOR chief said more than 13,000 people expressed interest in joining the contest when it was first announced online last February 15. Out of the initial number, a total of 8,771 people registered to join while 5,407 entries were actually submitted.

All the entries were initially judged by region, with five finalists from each category selected during the judging for Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Metro Manila. The overall winners were selected from the 40 regional finalists.

The 12 winners in the conventional photo category will receive Php80,000 in cash prizes each while the 12 winners in the mobile category will take home Php35,000 each. The non-winning finalists will also receive consolation prizes.

Among the judges in the final judging are prominent professional photographers like Mr. Bobot Go, Ms Lauren Malcampo, and Mr. Wig Tysmans along with columnist and editor Mr. Pepper Teehankee.

The finalists may be viewed online at https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02RMQZWQ5t7GHDAJHhuoEUzEqPwLP7fsmxQ3URWhSvZ3HCAkgzX5rdJAFZxgJy9yC5l&id=100064755154228&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=RUbZ1f for conventional photography and https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02uje5uQxcMXofKEC3T4H2hoWuebwb7vUF45dqww7o4yJFzAfqYvqXep94pLyhvY5Ll&id=100064755154228&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=RUbZ1f for the mobile category.#