Francisgum: A Creative Artist’s Immigration Success

June is #ImmigrantHeritageMonth. To celebrate and honor the contributions of immigrants, this So True segment proudly presents our very own Francisgum, one of SoJTV’s highly talented videographers. From working behind the scenes to bringing him in front of the camera, we sat down with him to talk about his immigration journey and pursuing his dream of becoming a creative artist.

Francis moved to the US after college but back in the Philippines, he already knew that he was interested in the field of creatives. It was only in 2012 when he started doing photography and received his first break when he was offered to do a shoot for a magazine publication. However, his road to success did not happen overnight; he had to work odd jobs during the day while doing creatives on the side simultaneously.

Things became a lot harder when the pandemic came, and he got laid off. He stopped doing photography and focused on taking care of his family instead. There were many missed opportunities, but his hard work and perseverance did not hinder him from his passion.

He was able to bounce back in 2021 with 2022 being an even bigger year for him as he held his own art exhibitions to showcase his talent in the arts inspired by his love for his first home – the Philippines. He is one of the featured artists in an exhibit called “Belonging” in which he presents an augmented reality photo gallery, an authentic sari-sari store, and other installations that allow guests to experience life in the Philippines. Meanwhile, his other exhibit “Gaya Ng Dati” or “Just As Before” is a public art installation held in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines that encapsulated his dreams, aspirations, and nostalgia during his life in his hometown.

According to Francis, despite the challenges that he went through, what stuck with him throughout the process was that he did not give up. He believes that one day, people will be able to acknowledge one’s talent and people will embrace you for it.

This episode is aired on #SoJannelleTV as seen on the following channels:

• Sunday, 4:30pm – 5:00pm PT (7:30pm ET) on TFC @kapamilyatfc
• Monday, 6:00pm PT on KNET Channel 25.1 (Southern CA)
• Saturday, 7:30pm – 8:00pm PT (10:30pm ET) on ANC

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