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Winning photo of 'Zambo boy' taken from Flickr

ABS-CBNnews.com
09/23/2013

MANILA – (UPDATED) A photo of a smiling Zamboanga boy that won the top prize in a contest sponsored by the Embassy of Chile has become the subject of controversy on social media on Sunday after someone else claimed to have taken the picture.



On Friday, the Philippine Star published an article, “Zambo boy is Phl smiling icon,” about the winning photograph of a young boy gathering seaweed in Zamboanga City which won the top prize in the “Smiles for the World” contest.

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“The Filipino spirit is waterproof,” Solis was quoted by the article. “I thought about several values that we have: social resiliency, guarded optimism, people feeling happy. Filipinos, even if things get bad, even if we are poor, as long as we are happy, we are OK. That’s Filipino culture. It’s something that’s woven into the socio-cultural fabric of the nation.”

But on late Saturday, Gregory John Smith posted on his Facebook page that the photo was his.

His Facebook page lists him as the founder and “social entrepreneur” at Children At Risk Foundation and that he lives in Brazil.

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“No, actually it’s a very happy Elias from the Morro de Macaco shanty, where CARF has started a new community base for the many underprivileged children there. Elias and his three brothers are some of the most needy kids and amongst the lucky ones to get a taste of the sea this summer, thanks to Marília’s campaign initiative on Flickr and the support we are receiving from its members,” the caption said of the smiling boy.

Morro de Macaco is a seaside town in Brazil and the Flickr page said the photo was taken on January 8, 2006.

Netizens also found out that Solis has submitted the photo in question to another contest, the Water and Life: 2013 ICIMOD Digital Photo Contest, although this time the subject was described as a kid who “helps his father harvest seaweed in Ramanathapuram district, India.”

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"I am writing to you to express my deep remorse and sincerest apologies for claiming your photo as mine. As the rightful owner of the photo, you deserve my initial thoughts and statement about this," Solis wrote in the letter.

Solis said the photo "was one of the most heartwarming photos I have ever seen, and I could only wish that I had the ability to capture such moments as well as you did."

He even said he kept the photo as wallpaper in his computer to inspire him as an amateur photographer.

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"I am surrendering everything that has been given to me in this competition, actually and virtually, and I take full responsibility for a disgraceful action and a grave moral lapse on my part. This recent turn of events has taught me to become humble, to have foresight, to be sensitive for the works of others, and ultimately, to take responsibility for my action," he said.

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