PAJ honors outstanding agriculture journalists

Former Philippine STAR business reporter Rocel C. Felix bagged three major prizes in the 2006 Philippine Agicultural Journalists (PAJ) Binhi Agricultural Journalism Awards held Sept. 27 in Quezon City.

Felix, now with Xinhua Financial News, won first place in two categories: PAJ Agribeat Reporter of the Year (straight news) and PAJ Agriculture Journalist of the Year (features and special reports). She received separate trophies for each category and P30,000 for each award. Felix also bagged second place for the PAJ Environment Reporter of the Year award, plus P20,000 and a trophy.

The other winners in the three major categories are Melody Aguiba (Manila Bulletin), 2nd Place with P20,000 cash and trophy, and Christin Gaylican (Philippine Daily Inquirer), 3rd Place, P10,000 cash and trophy for Agribeat Reporter of the Year.

Aguiba bagged the first place for Environment Beat Reporter of the Year with a cash prize of P30,000 and a trophy, and Beverly Natividad (BusinessWorld) won 3rd place with P10,000 cash and a trophy.

The Environment Story of the Year Award went to Pilipino Star Ngayon reporter Ronnie Halos who wrote a six-part series on the effects of air pollution.

The two other winners in the Agricultural Journalist of the Year category are Dr. Sosimo Pablico, communications consultant of Philippine Rice Research Institute and Philippine Carabao Center and a regular contributor to The STAR who won 2nd place (P20,000 cash and trophy), and Evangeline Custado (P10,000 cash and trophy), editor of Greenfields Magazine.

The winners in the minor categories with prizes of P20,000 each and trophies are: Tuloy Tuloy Pinoy – Best Radio Program- DZRH (focus on agriculture and agrarian reform issues) hosted by Deo Calma; Best Newsletter of the Year- Philrice, and Best Agriculture Magazine – Greenfields, published by Planters Agrichem Corp.

The 2006 Binhi Awards board of judges are Jose Pavia, chairman of the Philippine Press Insitute; former Agriculture Secretary Senen Bacani who is now president/CEO of agricultural consultancy firm Ultrex Management Corp.; Dr. Felix Librero, chancellor of the University of the Philippines Open University; Antonio Antonio, provincial editor of the Manila Bulletin and former president of the National Press Club, and, Lysander Garcia, former agribusiness editor of the defunct Daily Express and former official of the NPC.

This year’s major sponsors are San Miguel Corp., Lafayette Philippines Inc., Bayer Philippines, Smart Communications Inc., SL-Agritech Corp., Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture and Department of Agrarian Reform.