Romeo Gacad on assignment

AFP and the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines held an exhibition "Romeo Gacad on Assignment" in Manila to pay tribute to the legendary AFP photographer, who died in 2021.

The exhibit showcased 12 iconic photos from Romy's career, including Ben Johnson at the Olympics 100m finishing line, and an Afghan fighter during the hunt for Osama bin Laden in the days after 9/11.

Romy's eldest daughter, Sabrina, who lives in Manila, was at the opening on March 20 at Lanson Place hotel where several current and former AFP colleagues, including Manila senior correspondent Cecil Morella and ex-Singapore bureau chief Bobby Coloma, shared memories of working with Romy

The following day, FOCAP hosted the inaugural "Romeo Gacad Lecture on Visual Journalism", which was attended by students and professional photojournalists.

Romy's two daughters, Sabrina and Bianca, who lives in Bangkok, were in the audience. 

AFP's deputy photo director for Asia-Pacific Candida Ng was on a panel to discuss the challenges facing the industry. 

Other speakers were Vivek Prakash, managing editor for Getty Images in the Asia Pacific, Aaron Favila, senior photographer for AP's Manila bureau, and Kim Kyung-Hoon, senior photographer for Reuters. 

In her speech, Candida talked about how technology has changed photography, the impact AI is having on media organisations, and the gradual gains made in increasing diversity in newsrooms.

Even as the industry rapidly evolves, Candida told the audience that some of the most basic elements of becoming a successful visual journalist haven't changed: honing your storytelling skills and knowing your equipment.

And being a "good person", just like Romy.

Romeo Gacad, known to many as Romy, was a founding member of AFP's international photo service who joined the agency in January 1985. He began his career as a skilled photographer for the University of Philippines' newspaper and later worked as a freelancer.

Alongside other courageous Philippine journalists, Romy exposed human rights abuses under Martial Law and championed democracy. In the Philippines, he covered the fall of Marcos, communist and Muslim insurgencies, and natural disasters. AFP recognized Romy's talents and deployed him to various conflict zones, including Iraq, East Timor, Afghanistan, and Myanmar.

He received two Pulitzer Prize nominations, one for capturing the defining moment of Ben Johnson's scandalous victory in the 100m sprint at the Seoul Olympics and another for a photo of an Afghan mujahideen with American bombs dropping nearby, which was featured on the front cover of TIME magazine.