2014 PAJ-SMC Binhi Awards on

MANILA, Philippines - A nationwide contest is on for the country’s top agricultural journalists and groups who have shared their reportage and works in print, radio and television. 

The contest is spearheaded by the Philippine Agricultural Journalists Inc. (PAJ) in partnership with San Miguel Corp. (SMC), and dubbed as the PAJ-SMC Binhi Awards. 

PAJ president Roman Floresca said the 2014 PAJ-SMC Binhi Awards has been expanded and offers bigger prizes, as SMC through its president and CEO Ramon S. Ang is providing P1 million as a title sponsor. 

The year’s contest features a total of 15 individual and institutional categories, said Floresca, who designated Noel Reyes, PAJ vice president, and former information director at the Department of Agriculture, as this year’s contest chairperson. 

The three major individual categories are agricultural journalist, agribeat reporter and environment journalist, where the top three winners for each group will receive P50,000, P30,000 and P20,000 cash each and trophy, respectively. 

The other five individual categories are agri broadcast journalist, agri photo journalist, agri news story, agri feature story, and environment story, where the winner will each receive P20,000 cash and trophy. 

The 2014 PAJ-SMC Binhi Awards will also include seven institutional categories: agri section of a national daily newspaper, agri section of a regional or provincial weekly or fortnightly newspaper, agri magazine, agri newsletter, agri TV program, agri radio program, and agri info and/or media campaign. The winner in each category will receive P20,000 cash and a trophy. 

Reyes said the contest period starts from Oct. 1, 2013 and ends in Sept. 30, 2014, which means all entries should have been published, broadcast, and/or implemented during the said one-year period. 

Each entry should be accompanied with a nomination letter of the contestant, endorsed by his/her editor or head of office. 

Entries should be submitted on or before Oct. 17, 2014, to the 2014 PAJ-SMC Binhi Awards Committee, at the PAJ office c/o  Filipino Inventors Society Producer Cooperative (FISPC), ground floor near Pizza Hut, Delta Bldg., West Ave. corner Quezon Ave., Quezon City. 

The requirements for each category are: 

• Agricultural journalist, agribeat reporter, and environment journalist – original published clippings or photocopies of at least 10 best articles with corresponding newspaper/publication masthead, date, and byline or tagline.

• Agri news story, agri feature story, and environment story – original published clippings or photocopies of the story with corresponding newspaper/publication masthead, date, and byline or tagline.

• Agri broadcast journalist – five sets of CDs of the 10 best episodes of the contestant’s agri radio or TV program, including certificate of broadcast and endorsement from the station or network manager.

• Photo journalist – five sets of original or photocopies of at least 10 published B/W or colored photos with caption, corresponding newspaper/publication masthead, date, and photo credit or certification that said photo was taken by the contestant.

• Agri section of a national newspaper and agri section of a regional or provincial newspaper – five sets of published original or photocopies of 10 best agri section or page.

• Agri magazine and newsletter – five sets of 12 issues (if monthly) or four issues (if quarterly), and a letter of endorsement from the publisher or head of agency.

•  Info/Media Campaign – five sets of info/media campaign paraphernalia (program brief, posters, flyer, brochure, radio/TV ad, and preferably campaign results review).

• Agri TV and radio program – five sets of DVD (for TV) or CD (for radio) disks of at least five best episodes, with corresponding printed scripts, and certificate of broadcast. 

For inquiries, please call or text: 2014 PAJ-SMC Binhi Awards Committee, 0920-4889686 or 0925-3025922; or email – [email protected] or [email protected]. No entry fees are required. However, non-PAJ members are enjoined to apply and pay P200 for their 2014 membership and annual fee.