Homage to Butch Cruz

It was during the National Heroes Day last Monday morning, August 28, when Zone V Camera Club (ZVCC) members learned the sad news about the passing of one of its pillars, Butch Cruz.

Butch was the ZVCC Club President in 1994 and has served well and long, earning him the entrée to the elite clique of League of Loyals, a group of past ZVCC Presidents who made a lasting impact to the Club.

Butch is also an accomplished architect, a talented photographer, an astute businessman, a loving husband, a father and friend to many.

Let us hear from some ZVCC members whose lives has been touched by Butch as they pay tribute to the man many would call a hero and friend.

Remembering Butch

by Danny Yu

Butch Cruz was a quiet guy from Pangasinan who was known for his cool-headedness. He studied architecture at the University of the Philippines. He would go to campus driving a Harley Davidson, the same model that Evil Knievel used in his stunts. After graduation, he garnered the Top 3 spot in the board exams. He went on to become an independent architect. Butch also ventured into sleeping bed manufacturing and established Bonnet Trading which were sold at SM Shoemart.

I had the pleasure of being Butch’s batchmate in high school at San Beda College. I remember him as someone who was always calm and collected. I only saw him lose his temper once during high school.

Photo above: a young Butch Cruz

There was a long gap after our high school graduation as we got busy with our own lives, however, we reconnected at Zone V Camera Club. Butch had a passion for photography and loved motorcycling. His love for motorcycling was renewed when he saw a Harley Davidson street bike which he owned up to now.

Butch envisioned putting up an aquaculture theme park in Aklan but due to the pandemic and his passing, his dream has yet to be realized.

Thank you, Butch, for the memories. Rest in peace my friend.

A Tribute to Papa Butch

by Jay Camus

The Zone Five Camera Club would like to pay tribute to a beloved friend and fellow photographer, Architect Carlos Cruz. Butch as he was known to his friends had a passion for capturing the beauty of the world around him. He was always willing to share his knowledge and skills with others, and he was always up for a good laugh.

He joined the Zone V in the early 1990’s and quickly became an active member. He served as club President in 1994. He was always willing to help out with events, and he was always eager to learn new things. He was a mentor to many young photographers, and he helped them to develop their skills. He was a good friend to the new members or probees as they are called and Butch made sure they were made to feel welcome at the meetings.

Butch was a talented photographer, producing many noteworthy images and winning a number of trophies and accolades in his photographic journey. His keen eye for composition enabled him to capture the essence of a moment.

犀利士
wp-image-6426″ src=”https://zonev.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/370595445_1520258298378887_6257607582310730607_n.jpg” alt=”” width=”307″ height=”206″ />

Photos above by Butch Cruz

Butch was one of the original Papas of ZVCC and was most often called Papa Butch, a name he carried with great pride. He was always a staunch defender of the club as well as his fellow members. He never backed down from a challenge personally or to the club as whole.

Papa Butch opinions carried much weight as the rules, guidelines, and principles that sustained the club were formulated. As the art of photography was reinvented with the dawn of digital imaging his ideas were key to the club remaining relevant in the new era. He will always be remembered for his kindness, his wit, his intelligence, and his passion for photography.

May his spirit live on in the beauty of the photos he took.

Wonderful Memories with Butch

by Jeff Dytuco

I joined Zone V Camera Club in 2009 with very minimal background in photography. Butch was one of the senior members who welcomed me and guided me during my early years in the club. He initially came across as someone very serious and not so approachable, yet I immediately found out that it was the opposite.

Butch was fun loving, funny at times, and one of the most approachable and gracious among the senior members of the club. We eventually became good friends. Together with his buddies Manny Inumerable and Master Nes Santiago, they invited me and Dodie Legaspi to join their group and we formed F5 Studio in Manny’s old office in Mandaluyong. We did a lot of studio shoots, tutorials, workshops and even photo tours in Taal and Bataan.

He was a mentor and he guided me until I became the club’s president in 2012, Butch was my head of contest committee. I remember that he was quite strict in implementing the rules to the point of disqualifying entries of his classmate and even his best buddy. All these challenges that we encountered are now immortalized as memorable moments that look back to and laugh at as part of the club’s history.

I can say that I have learned a lot from Butch and what I have become, still a very active member since 2009, it is because of him, Manny, Nes, Jay and all the other League of Loyals who are still actively supporting the club today in whatever way.

Thank you Butch for these wonderful memories. Rest in peace my good friend.

In Memoriam

by Oscar Sanchez Soriano

I have often wondered why architects are drawn to photography. Perhaps they are allied undertakings playing and working around the same basic tenets – lines, shapes and patterns. One day I asked Angelo Amistoso, an architect, friend and founding member, why we were attracting so many other architects in the fold. I wanted him to think of a more non-technical reason – and he jokingly said they simply want to get away from the pressure of deadlines, find a creative niche and to drink beer.

I was in and out of Zone V when Butch Cruz, an architect, was inducted as a probee in the late 80s or early 90s. Just like all the other architect-members, I had somehow expected his strong genre, but surprisingly, Butch squared his own space, created a style so distinct, you could not tell a photo entry was his until the final reveal. His talent was genuine and original, always stood out even when the pressure to excel came to shove and the competition grew fiercer. In victory he remained humble and in some occasions when his entry did not make the grade, which was few and far in between, he would always bow, respect and try again. He was not fortunate enough to be POTY, but he delivered year in and year out, winning for him was an exhilarating jive, but embracing his unrelenting competitive spirit made him a true winner, an extremely gifted fighter.

Butch won so many friends in Zone V, myself included. No trophies could ever top that, alhough he had so many awards stashed away. He was drawn to photography, specifically to Zone V not only because he wished to unburden the stress of his profession. He came to Zone V not only to gain recognition, but to win respect, friendship and family. He not only found a family, he found a place where he can hold hands, smile with and care for one another. He led, and the strength of his wisdom and his leadership is woven into the tapestry that Zone V now proudly unfurl.