Aaron Favila is a photojournalist with the Associated Press, where he has worked since 1998. Based in the Philippines, he covers breaking news, natural disasters, sports, conflicts, climate change, religion and daily life.
Favila began his career in 1996 as a correspondent for the Manila Bulletin and Tempo, and later freelanced for Asiaweek before joining the Associated Press as a staff photographer. He studied journalism at the University of Santo Tomas. Largely self-taught in photography, he developed his practice through independent study and field experience.
Favila has reported internationally, including from the war in Afghanistan (2003), flooding in Pakistan, the 2018 tsunami in Indonesia, political unrest and natural disasters in Myanmar, and the aftermath of the Bali bombings. He has also covered four Olympic Games. In the Philippines, he has documented major national events including Super Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, the siege of Marawi, the Taal Volcano eruption, the Abu Sayyaf insurgency in Jolo and Basilan, the drug war during the time of former President Duterte, and disputes in the South China Sea.
His work has received recognition from the World Sports Photography Awards (2023, 2026), the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar (2024, 2025), the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (2014), the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (2012), and the Yonhap International Press Photo Awards (2011).
He is a board member of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (2025 to 2026) and a member of the Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines, where he mentors emerging photographers.
World Press Photo Involvement:
2026 World Press Photo Contest winner
Aaron Favila on Social Media:
Instagram: @aaronfavila
