As a tool for presenting Philippine culture and identity, photography revealed that Filipinos during the Spanish period and American colonialism had a distinct society of their own. Photography is the easiest medium that helps people to communicate effectively, what they find the beautiful moments and important social messages in their daily life. Paintings and illustrations are examples of visual languages that were introduced as factual aids, which were a foreign concept for Filipinos but were easily digested. After the discovery of the daguerreotype in 1839, the Spaniards were the first ones to introduce photography to the Philippines dating back to 1841.
