Nakita Sa Makati: Seen at the Ebb is a photobook I published in 2026 that explores the overlooked edges of Makati City beyond its gleaming business district and affluent, gated enclaves.

The title derives from the Tagalog word makati, referring to the river’s receding tide—an apt metaphor for communities living at the ebb along the Pasig River. Between 2017 and 2023, I walked these outer barangays, bearing witness to lives often eclipsed by the city’s wealth.

The photographs in this book are not statistical reports. Instead, they reveal, through vivid and intimate moments, how ordinary people navigate an urban landscape at low ebb. Through these images, I explore five interlocking themes: limited access to resources, resilient self-help, inventive ways of finding joy and food, unguarded devotion to loved ones, and a humble faith that steadies the spirit.

Whether portraying a family soothing their quadruplets, children improvising games beneath a streetlight, or a pedicab driver dressing smartly for the foggy dawn, each image invites viewers to look again—and to reflect on what it means to live “at the ebb,” and what we might learn from lives lived there.

I hope the work will “comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable,” reminding us that dignity, grace, and beauty can endure even in life’s ebb.

Limited-edition photographs from Nakita Sa Makati are now available in the Philippines. Selected works are offered as archival pigment prints on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta paper, produced by Digital Silver Imaging in the United States.

 The 16 × 24 inch prints are limited to editions of only 5, while the 8 × 12 inch prints are limited to editions of 10.

Printed using museum-quality pigment inks on 100% cotton rag baryta paper, these photographs are designed for exceptional tonal depth, detail, and long-term archival permanence.

Visit the “Now On Exhibit” page for exhibition details, book availability, and print inquiries.