When James Macariola was growing up, “trouble” was his middle name. As a teenager in Laguna, he would find himself in one mess after another, from pickpocketing to forging signatures. His OFW mom moved him to Mandaluyong and involved him in a church’s music ministry. That didn’t work. He noticed how people acted benevolent while inside the church but were the complete opposite outside of it. James barely made it past high school but managed to enroll in a digital arts course at the University of Makati, where he dutifully got involved in gangs and went on binge drinking sessions with mates. That’s when he encountered LifeBox, a campus-based Christian support group. What caught his attention was how its members were able to have joy in their lives without resorting to drugs or alcohol. Today, at age 24 and with his life turned around, James serves as campus minister with LifeBox and is helping them reach out to other troubled youths.
Souls of Manila is a new Coconuts series of street portrait photography inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York. Every human has a story to tell, and we intend to share some from the millions of souls who call Metro Manila home.
MORE SOULS OF MANILA:
– Mang Jun at Heroes Hill
– Nhorie Cortes, barbeque vendor in Las Piñas
– Mercy Takasa at New City Grocery
– James Macariola
– Earl Chua in Makati
