SinagLarawan Photo Contest is back to recognize the caliber and creativity of homegrown photographers from all over the country as they capture the values, traits, culture, and traditions that shape the Filipino identity.

Open for entries until 25 September, SinagLarawan 2025’s theme, “Isa sa Isla,” highlights the very Filipino ways in which Water has nurtured Connection, Collective Spirit, and Community. The theme is focused on showcasing water as central to bringing Filipinos together whether through work or livelihood; cultural activities like festivals or rituals; simple, everyday community interactions; or during difficult times like natural disasters when we demonstrate our pakikipagkapwa-tao to support each other.

As an island nation, water isn’t merely essential for survival; it’s a way of life. The theme encourages visual exploration of how our lives in the islands are linked by water in profound and complex ways, and how these connections have given rise to communal aspects of Filipino culture unique to our geography.

The SinagLarawan Photo Contest is a Community Investment initiative by JTI Philippines. The contest highlights photography as an art form and showcases the hallmarks of the Filipino people, and the talent and skill of Filipino photographers.

“At JTI Philippines, making meaningful contributions to the growth of societies is key to being a socially responsible business. Alongside our focus on People and Environment, we are committed to transformative projects in Arts and Culture such as SinagLarawan which is a standout initiative that promotes artistic development and helps drive cultural preservation, using the powerful art of photography to highlight the unique Filipino traditions and characteristics,” says Guilherme Silva, general manager of JTI Philippines.

The top honors for the SinagLarawan 2025 Photo Contest recognize both the individual photographers and their affiliated photo clubs. As with previous years, the 2025 photo contest’s panel of judges will consist of notable names in photography and the arts and culture sector.

The grand winner or SinagLarawan of the Year is set to receive a P150,000 cash prize and a trophy, with their photo club receiving P30,000 and a certificate. The first runner-up will get P120,000 and a trophy, with their club receiving P25,000 and a certificate. Finally, the second runner-up will be awarded P100,000 and a trophy, with P20,000 and a certificate for their club.

There will be eight winners awarded as part of the Circle of Excellence, each set to receive a cash prize of P80,000 and a trophy, while their respective clubs receive P10,000 and a certificate each.

SinagLarawan has 13 special awards this year, with each winner receiving P50,000 and a certificate. The photo contest includes the Rehiyon Awards for the top thee photographers from Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as its special JTI Employee Choice Award. 

For this year’s run, the photo contest will also be naming 76 Ffnalists as part of its top 100 roster, each receiving P10,000 in cash and a certificate. SinagLarawan will be awarding over P2.5 million in cash prizes for 2025.

All 100 winning photographs will be featured in a coffee-table book. SinagLarawan will be honoring its top 24 during an exhibition and awards event in November and featuring the photos in its special edition calendar.

The photo contest is open to all members of photography clubs and independent photographers endorsed by a photography club, who must be 18 years old and above.

All submissions must be submitted through the official JTI SinagLarawan website, jtisinaglarawan.com, until 25 September. Eligible photographers should submit one digital photo and include a title, a brief description in English of how the entry captures the theme, and the locale where the photo submission was taken. Only photos taken from January 2023 to September 2025 are eligible for the contest, and participants are allowed only one entry each. 

For more information and detailed contest mechanics, visit the official website at jtisinaglarawan.com.