“What moved us about the Philippines chapter was seeing how naturally motherhood, work, ambition and personal identity can coexist in the same life. We hope technology can play a small part in helping people be seen more fully, and their stories better understood.” ~Jack Guo, General Manager of TECNO
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| Philippines Portrait Gallery of “Seeing Beyond Labels” |
The gallery brings together 20 Filipinos whose lives intersect with solo motherhood, revealing the diverse roles, relationships and ambitions that extend far beyond a single label.
TECNO has partnered with internationally acclaimed artist
Angélica Dass to introduce the Philippine chapter of
100 Portraits of Becoming, a global portrait photography project celebrating personal stories and individual identities. The latest collection features 20 individuals and their compelling life experiences, now available through TECNO’s global story archive.
Spanning two years and five countries, the documentary portrait initiative uses TECNO Universal Tone imaging technology to capture diverse human experiences. The Philippines serves as the project's second chapter, following its successful debut in Kenya.
Titled “See Beyond Labels,” the Philippine collection features portraits of 20 individuals in Manila whose lives are connected to solo motherhood in different ways. Through their stories, the project highlights how people cannot be defined by a single social label or title such as “solo mom.” Instead, every individual carries multiple identities shaped by relationships, responsibilities, personal goals, and life experiences.
The campaign draws inspiration from the realities of Filipino families. Publicly available figures estimate that the Philippines has approximately 14 to 15 million solo parents, with women representing around 95% of this population. Meanwhile, an estimated 2.19 million Filipinos worked overseas in 2024, of whom 57.2% were women working as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Beyond these statistics are individual stories that reflect the complexity of family life, identity, and personal aspirations. The Philippine chapter seeks to bring these often-overlooked experiences into focus through powerful visual storytelling.
Photographed using the TECNO CAMON Slim 5G equipped with TECNO Universal Tone, the collection also reflects the smartphone's “Make It Lighter” philosophy. The concept emphasizes making expressive photography more accessible, intuitive, and inclusive through technology.
The Stories Behind the Portraits of 20 People
Through the featured portraits, the broader realities of Filipino family life are brought into a more personal perspective, highlighting diverse experiences involving careers, relationships, caregiving, and personal growth.
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| Angélica Dass taking portrait photos in Manila |
The collection brings together stories from solo mothers who are raising children independently, adults who grew up in solo-parent households, members of multigenerational families, Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) caregivers, and media and community advocates who work closely with women and families. Their experiences shed light on a common social issue: the tendency to judge people based on a single label rather than recognize their full identities and capabilities.
The conversations explored important questions about motherhood, professional aspirations, family responsibilities, and identity. They examined how women balance raising children with career goals, how adults look back on growing up with solo parents, and what forms of support, personal decisions, and practical wisdom help families manage everyday challenges.
Together, these narratives present a more complete picture of contemporary family life. They highlight women pursuing meaningful careers while raising children, extended families sharing caregiving duties, grown children finding inspiration in their mothers, and individuals continuing to work toward their personal dreams and ambitions.
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| Portraits of 20 people connected to solo motherhood |
Portraits of 20 people connected to solo motherhood from the Philippines chapter now are joining the global 100 Portraits of Becoming on TECNO’s official website, where their images and stories can be explored together.
Her Many Ways of Becoming
Among the 20 individuals featured in the project is Ely Haig, a solo working mother, family breadwinner, advertising professional, and competitive amateur padel player.
Ely embraced motherhood at a time when her career was beginning to gain momentum. She initially put several professional opportunities on hold, choosing instead to prioritize the needs of the people around her. Eventually, she discovered a new approach to balancing her responsibilities by identifying what truly mattered to her and finding ways to make space for her career, daughter, side projects, and passion for padel.
“Being a good mother shouldn’t mean leaving yourself behind. I want people to see more than a solo mom. A mother, yes, but also a creative, a career woman, an athlete, still becoming.” ~Ely Haig, a solo working mother, breadwinner, advertising professional and competitive amateur padel player
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| The Portrait of Ely Haig |
Twinkle Dimayuga Zamora raised two children as a solo mother before turning her own experience into community support. She later founded MAMA, Mothers Advocating through Ministry and Action, an initiative supporting solo mothers and their children. Her diskarte is simple: ask for help, communicate openly and build a village.
“Sometimes the strongest thing a mother can do is say, ‘I need help.’” ~Twinkle Dimayuga Zamora, raised two children as a solo mother before turning her own experience into community support
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| The Portrait of Twinkle Dimayuga Zamora |
Eunice N. Angeles, a fourth-year nursing student, was raised by a solo mother who later became an OFW in Qatar. Growing up, she watched her mother keep finding opportunities and making difficult choices to create a better future for them both. That confidence became something Eunice feels she inherited.
“I want people to see what I grew up with: confidence, determination and the courage to find my own way.” ~Eunice N. Angeles, a fourth-year nursing student, was raised by a solo mother who later became an OFW in Qatar
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| The Portrait of Eunice N. Angeles |
These stories reflect different expressions of their own diskarte: the wisdom, resourcefulness and choices women draw on to navigate life in their own way. More stories from the 20 portraits can be explored in the Philippines gallery of
100 Portraits of Becoming, part of TECNO’s global story archive.
An Opportunity to See Behind the Portraits
For Angélica Dass, the Philippines chapter is an opportunity to move from a shared social context to the individual lives within it. Across the 20 portraits, she encountered different ambitions, relationships, personalities and ways of navigating everyday life.
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| Renowned photographer Angélica Dass captures portraits using the TECNO CAMON Slim 5G in Manila, Philippines. |
“What stayed with me was the realization that ‘solo motherhood’ is only one part of a person's identity. Through the stories shared with me and the moments we created during the portrait sessions, I was reminded that behind every label there is a person with their own ambitions, relationships, choices, and dreams. No single label can tell us everything about who someone is.” ~Angélica Dass, Renowned Photographer captures portraits using the TECNO CAMON Slim 5G in Manila, Philippines
To capture genuine experiences, the portraits were taken in different locations across Manila, using settings that reflect each participant's everyday environment. These included their workplaces, family homes, and familiar community spaces that hold personal significance.
This creative direction reflects the campaign's central message of looking beyond labels and highlighting the different dimensions of people's lives. Through the photographs, the project captures professional pursuits, personal ambitions, relationships, humour, and everyday routines—showing the many experiences that shape an individual beyond a single role or identity.
From Kenya to the Philippines, and Beyond
All 20 portraits featured in the Philippine collection were captured by internationally acclaimed artist Angélica Dass using the TECNO CAMON Slim 5G, powered by TECNO Universal Tone technology.
Designed to deliver more accurate skin tone representation across a wide range of complexions in mobile photography, TECNO Universal Tone plays an important role in the project's visual storytelling. Within 100 Portraits of Becoming, the technology reinforces the campaign's message of recognizing individuals in their authentic form while appreciating the unique qualities that make each person different.
The Philippines is the second destination of the international initiative, following its launch in Kenya in July 2026. Over the course of two years, the project aims to feature 100 portraits across multiple countries, creating a growing archive of individuals, personal stories, and possibilities.
While the Kenya chapter explored how people move beyond inherited perceptions of their communities and future prospects, the Philippine installment focuses on family, identity, and the many responsibilities and roles people embrace. It encourages audiences to look beyond initial impressions and discover the person, relationships, and aspirations behind every label.
With the Philippines now included in the global collection, the project will continue expanding to other countries, bringing more portraits and personal narratives that celebrate the different ways people grow, evolve, and become.
About TECNO
As a global innovative technology brand with operations in over 70 markets, TECNO has been committed to revolutionizing the digital experience in global emerging markets, relentlessly pushing for the perfect integration of contemporary, aesthetic design with the latest technologies and AI. TECNO offers a wide range of smartphones, smart wearables, laptops and tablets, smart gaming, HiOS operating systems and smart home products. Guided by its brand essence of “Stop At Nothing,” TECNO is committed to unlocking the newest technologies and AI-powered new experiences for forward-looking individuals, inspiring them to never stop pursuing their best selves and their best futures. For more information, please visit TECNO’s official site: www.tecno-mobile.com.
About “100 Portraits of Becoming” by TECNO and Angélica Dass
“100 Portraits of Becoming” is a global portrait project created by TECNO together with internationally recognized artist Angélica Dass. Over two years, it will produce one hundred portraits across five countries — Kenya, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil — pairing Dass’s portrait methodology with TECNO’s Universal Tone inclusive imaging technology. Each portrait moves beyond a face to the person behind it: to lives unfolding across different cultures, generations and moments of social change. One hundred portraits become one hundred ways of seeing humanity — and one growing archive of who we are, told by the people living it. To learn more, please visit: https://www.tecno-mobile.com/100portraitsofbecoming/.
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