Agriculture Magazine content producer Vina Medenilla won Best Agriculture Feature Story (National) at the 15th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards (Bright Leaf) for her story, “Cavite Interior Designer is also a Weekend Farmer,” a feature on farmer Pinky Peralta and her journey as a designer, artist, and mother.
The Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards (Bright Leaf) is an annual journalism competition that celebrates individuals and teams that were responsible for emphasizing the diverse agricultural stories in the Philippines. It recently celebrated its 15th year with the theme “Cultivating Hope,” which highlighted both the challenges and triumphs faced by the Philippine agricultural sector and the journalists covering their trials and tribulations throughout 2021.
"Being recognized by PMFTC through the Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards for the second time is truly an honor. I hope that the story of Mrs. Pinky Peralta of The Weekend Farmer inspires everyone who gets to read it as much as I did while I was writing it. Her narrative highlights her strength and fortitude as a mother, a wife, a creative professional, and a weekend farmer,” Medenilla said.
In his welcome speech during the awarding ceremony, PMFTC Global Communications Director Dave Gomez highlights the importance of hope during a global crisis, and how the winners of the Bright Leaf Awards exemplifies that hope: “We believe that agricultural journalism brightly shines on the most vital topics in the past year through an increasingly digital and connected world. Bright Leaf hopes to continue blazing the trail in recognizing the cutting edge of agricultural journalism in the Philippines.”
This is echoed by the chairman for the Board of Judges, Krip Yuson, who says, “We are all sustained by hope: hope for a better Philippines, hope for a brighter future, hope that the words we write and the images we photograph will ultimately be seen by the next generation.” Alongside Mr. Yuson are other members of the panel judges from the fields of journalism, academia, print and digital media, namely: Rina Jimenez-David, Kristine Bersamina, Ralph Semino Galan, Francis Abraham, Albert Gamboa, Jake Maderazo, Isabelita Reyes, Ed Sallan, Yvette Tan, and Rem Zamora.
This year’s winners
This year’s awardees are :
Best Agriculture Feature Story (Regional): Reuel John Lumawag, SunStar Davao, “Davao Coffee Beginning to Rise in the Coffee Scene”
Best Agriculture Feature Story (National): Vina V. Medenilla, Manila Bulletin, “Cavite Interior Designer is also a Weekend Farmer”
Best Agriculture News Story (Regional): Rachel P. Ganancial, Palawan News, “Pala’wan Tribes Struggle Through Pineapple Farming During Covid-19 Pandemic”
Best Agriculture News Story (National): Sheex B. Lagare, Philippine Daily Inquirer, “PH Importing 200,000 Tons of Sugar to Stabilize Prices”
Best Online Story: Karlson Lapniten, Mongabay News, “Sustainable Livelihood Offers a Lifeline to Philippines' Dying Rice Terraces”
Best Agriculture TV Program/Segment: Amielle Alexandra Garcia Ordoñez, GMA News and Public Affairs, “In Review: Bakit Wala Pa Ring Pag-Usad sa Buhay ng Maraming Magsasaka sa Pilipinas?”
Best Agriculture Radio Program/Segment: Nora Sagayo, DZWT 540 KHZ Radyo Totoo, “Organic Fertilizer”
Tobacco Photo of the Year: Laila Austria, Baguio Chronicle, “Surviving Tobacco Turn Gold”
Tobacco Story of the Year: Frank Cimatu, Baguio Chronicle, “Perfect Storm Hits Ilocos and Abra Tobacco Farms”
Agriculture Photo of the Year: Rhoy Cobilla, Edge Davao, “The Hardwork of Dawn”
Agriculture Story of the Year: Cai U. Ordinario and Tyrone Jasper C. Piad, Business Mirror, “Global Shipment Woes: Additional Shocks to PHL’s Food Supply Chain” (Part 1) and “Supply Stiffness to Stay as Shipment Issues Seen Spilling Past Yule Season” (Part 2)
The awarding ceremony was held virtually on September 13, 2022, hosted by Mr. Tony Velasquez and Ms. Shayla Sanchez.
Read more about farming and gardening at agriculture.com.ph