The Lived Experiences of Maniniyot in Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino, Cebu City

This study interpreted the lived experiences of the maniniyot, or traditional analog photographers, stationed at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in Cebu City, highlighting how they preserve their craft amid digital transformation. To find the meaning of their work across five existential dimensions, which are the; lived space, lived body, lived time, lived human relations, and lived things, the researchers employed semi-structured interviews and field observations using the hermeneutic-phenomenological technique. According to the results, the maniniyot see the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño as their home, their craft as a source of income and cultural legacy, and their resilience as a result of their kinship, faith, and sense of belonging. By converting photography into a means of devotion and memory preservation, they continue to represent Cebuano identity in spite of the proliferation of smartphones and digital media. The study concluded that the maniniyot served as cultural custodians who preserve tangible expressions of faith and tradition in a digital age, and it recommended integrating their practice into education, tourism, and cultural heritage programs to ensure the continuity of this living tradition.