TECNO, Angélica Dass put solo motherhood in focus through 20 Philippine portraits

TECNO has expanded its global storytelling initiative “100 portraits of becoming” to the Philippines, bringing together 20 individuals whose lives intersect with solo motherhood to challenge how women and families are defined by societal labels.

Launched on 26 October, the Philippines chapter, titled “See beyond labels”, was developed with Brazilian visual artist and photographer Angélica Dass. It features portraits and personal stories exploring the relationships, careers, caregiving responsibilities and ambitions that shape the lives of those connected to solo motherhood.

Rather than focusing solely on solo mothers, the collection also features adults raised by solo mothers, overseas Filipino worker (OFW) caregivers, members of multi-generational families and community advocates working with women and families.

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The campaign draws on the realities of Filipino family life. The Philippines has an estimated 14 to 15 million solo parents, with women accounting for about 95% of them. Meanwhile, an estimated 2.19 million Filipinos worked overseas in 2024, of whom 57.2% were women.

Through the portraits, TECNO and Dass aim to challenge the tendency to let a single social label define an individual's identity and capabilities. The stories explore questions around balancing motherhood with professional ambitions, the experiences of adults raised in solo-parent households and the support networks that help families navigate everyday life.

Among the participants is Ely Haig, a solo mother, advertising professional, breadwinner and competitive amateur padel player. Having become a mother while her career was gaining momentum, Haig said she eventually found ways to balance raising her daughter with her professional ambitions and personal interests.

“Being a good mother shouldn't mean leaving yourself behind,” said Haig. “I want people to see more than a solo mom. A mother, yes, but also a creative, a career woman, an athlete, still becoming.”

Another participant, Twinkle Dimayuga Zamora, raised two children as a solo mother before founding Mothers Advocating through Ministry and Action (MAMA), an initiative supporting solo mothers and their children.

“Sometimes the strongest thing a mother can do is say, ‘I need help,’” she said, highlighting the importance of building support networks and communicating openly.

The gallery also features Eunice N. Angeles, a fourth-year nursing student whose mother became an OFW in Qatar after raising her as a solo parent. Reflecting on her upbringing, Angeles said: “I want people to see what I grew up with: confidence, determination and the courage to find my own way.”

The 20 portraits were photographed by Dass across Manila, in locations connected to participants' everyday lives, including workplaces, family homes and community spaces. The images were captured using TECNO's CAMON Slim 5G smartphone, supported by its Universal Tone imaging technology, which is designed to represent a broader spectrum of human skin tones more accurately in mobile photography.

For Dass, the project offered an opportunity to move beyond the broader social context and understand the individual experiences behind it.

“What stayed with me was the realisation 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,” she said.

The Philippines chapter follows the project's launch in Kenya in July 2026. Over two years, “100 portraits of becoming” will document 100 individuals across five countries: Kenya, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Brazil.

While the Kenya chapter explored how people move beyond inherited narratives about place and the future, the Philippines edition focuses on family, identity and the different roles people carry. The portraits and accompanying stories are available through TECNO's global story archive.

“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,” said Jack Guo, general manager of TECNO.

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