The Perya Life | Karl Castillo: Film & Photography

The Perya Life It's December and the "Perya" (fun fair) is back in town. Early work starts late.

The Perya Life It's a family business

The Perya Life Ready to steal your girls.

Angel Anne I just graduated from high school and I'm here working to save some money for college. I really want to take some management course. Yes, it's fun to work here and I have some loyal customers but I don’t want to be here forever.

Jun No fun at the Horror train

ThePeryaLife_Batch01-20

ThePeryaLife_Batch01-20 Sold out tickets.

Perya Portraits-10

Perya Portraits-10 "I've been working as a ride operator for 20 years, probably one of the longest around here. We travel all year to different places, maybe close to 6 to 9 towns. Most of my family members are also working here so I have no plans leaving or retiring soon... We like it here... and we're earning money the right way.”

The Perya Life First in line.

Joy "There were some drunk guys shooting pellet guns at each other. I could say that was one of the funniest moments I’ve witnessed here. But it’s not always fun times. Especially when we’re not earning much... The amount of money we get really depends on which town we're operating. My favourite place would be Laoag at Ilocos, because the folks there really look forward going to the fair. We get to earn a lot more!"

The Perya Life Eyes on the Prize

The Perya Life Slow night

The Perya Life Aim carefully.

Benjamin "I'm assigned to this small ride. It is specially made for children so I interact with kids more. You should see how active they are! And I really need to be alert all the time. Most of the time, they won't behave during the ride"

The Perya Life Game restart

The Perya Life Off-peak

The Perya Life Ride the neon lights

Joseph "I don't travel with the fair. I live near here, just across the river. I just work for them part-time when they are in town. Usually October to January. Once they leave town, I'll just look for some contractual jobs somewhere else. I like working here, it's pretty relaxed and I am not stressed. The pay is reasonable especially when you have a good night. I just don't like to travel with them because I have a family to look after"

People come and go, but The Perya Life goes on. Perya is a tagalog term for Carnival and every October, they come to setup at my hometown of Olongapo in the Philippines.
After three month, the perya will be travelling north to Ilocos for the summer then make their way back to Tarlac City. Some of them will be reunited with their family while some will take another job until the next carnival goes to the road. I’ve met some pretty dedicated individuals there. People who really loves the carnival life, some who are just passing time while looking for a better job and those who sees the perya as a family.

Comments (2)

Apr 24, 2020 at 06:09 Genene Grace Simpao

Hi, I’m Genene Grace Simpao. Im sad to say na humihina na ang perya, maraming technologies na kasi ang lumalabas sa merkado. Btw, anak ako ng isa sa may nag mamay ari ng perya. Ngayong EQC , nakastay lang kami at walang pinagkukunan ng makakain. Ang mga tauhan din pala sa perya ay unti onti ng umaalis dahil sa humihina na nga ito. Just sharing. Thank you. Godbless.
Reply
- Jun 8, 2020 at 08:38 karlandrewcastillo@gmail.com
  
  Hi Genene,
  
  I agree and this is the sad truth. People would rather entertain themselves through tech and devices.
  I just heard from a friend that this perya that I’ve covered are no longer operational. 🙁
  
  Thank you for stopping by!
  Reply

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