STAR writers bag agri awards

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine STAR won top awards at the fourth annual Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards sponsored by the Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC) to honor the best agriculture journalists.

The “Tobacco Story of the Year” was awarded to Teddy Molina of The STAR. His article, “Tobacco not just for making cigarettes,” presented a delicate balance between the interests of government agencies, health critics and tobacco growers. It reported on the alternative uses for tobacco. He received P60,000 cash prize.

Photographer Andy Zapata, also of The STAR, won “Tobacco Photo of the Year” for his photo entitled “The best among the best.” The winning image captures a tobacco farmer surrounded by leaves, taken from a unique point of view.

STAR contributor Adora Rodriquez won “Best Agriculture News Story in the Regional Category” for “Greening of Mt. Banahaw.” The article explains how vegetation at the foot of Mt. Banahaw helped local residents enrich their lives.

Zapata and Rodriguez each received P25,000 cash prize.

Bright Leaf is a nationwide competition that seeks to recognize the outstanding works of journalists in the field of agriculture. They honor the best of print features, radio pieces, video stories or photographs that chronicle and capture the agricultural landscape of the times or contribute to raising awareness of and support for the hands that feed and fuel this nation.

This year’s judges were Batangas Rep. Mark Mendoza, Abono party-list Rep. Francisco Ortega III, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, National Tobacco Administration chief Edgardo Zaragosa, Publishers Association of the Philippines president Johnny Dayang, Manila Bulletin managing editor Fil Sionil, Dr. Constancio de Guzman, and The STAR columnist and Ateneo de Manila professor Krip Yuson.

In his opening speech, PMFTC president Chris Nelson said: “Today, more than ever, it is important to bring to light the issues and movements that define today’s agricultural industry by encouraging reportage on this sector. Through the Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards, our company affirms its commitment of providing the agricultural industry a voice.”