‘I never want to hear that Filipinos don’t work hard’: Photographer’s Pictures Go Viral

A photographer who recently traveled to the Philippines experienced how diligently Filipinos work to make ends meet.

Dom Argana, a film student at California State University, Northridge, traveled to Palawan, Philippines, to shoot a documentary for Passion Planner for one month.

“Super excited for this new journey and experience,” Argana wrote in a Facebook post before his trip.

On June 27, Argana was strolling around Puerto Princesa Public Market in Palawan when he noticed several workers sleeping.

He picked up his camera and snapped some photographs that not only turned out amazing but also depict how hard Filipinos work to put food on the table.

“These people work 24/7 so that they can earn some type of income. They sleep, shower & eat here. They do whatever it takes to survive,” Argana tweeted.

“I never want to hear that Filipinos don’t work hard.”

Argana’s post has since been retweeted 17,000 times.

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The series of photos resonated with many people:

One man recognized his aunt in one of the shots:

Others got into discussions about education and the Philippines’ government:

The economy of the Philippines is the third largest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after Indonesia and Thailand. The country also saw a 6% economic growth under the current presidency, according to Bloomberg.

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