Philippine Information Agency

TRECE MARTIRES, Cavite March 14 (PIA) The municipality of Kawit welcomed Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation’s (PMFTC) Bright Leaf caravan with its launching held at the Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park, Binakayan last March 12.

The event gathered Cavite-based information, communications and media journalists/representatives who were invited to participate in the 12th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards.

The Bright Leaf Awards gives recognition to the most important and outstanding agricultural news stories that were able to raise the discourse of critical agriculture issues and celebrating the best photographs that captured the spirit of Philippine agriculture in a single frame.

Its legacy of more than a decade being the premier agriculture journalism competition in the country, it has notably grown from only 82 entries during its first year in 2007 to hundreds of entries in search of the best paradigm of agriculture journalism in 2018.

During the event, Agriculture Program Coordinating Officer Region IV-A of the Department of Agriculture Ms. Eda Dimapilis was the guest speaker. Dimpalis, together with PMFTC External Affairs Director Bayen Elero-Tinga, encouraged the participants to join the competition.

This year’s competition, aptly themed “12 years of Bounty for the Season”, introduces a new and special category – the Best Online Story which will be awarded to the best agriculture news or feature story published in an online news website.

Ms. Elero-Tinga added, “The addition of this new award category is in keeping with the current trend of readers getting their information speedily in the digital space.”

Categories for entry submission are: Agriculture story of the Year; Agriculture Photo of the Year; Tobacco Story of the Year; Tobacco Photo of the Year; Best Television Program or Segment; Best Radio Program or Segment; Best Agriculture News Story National;Best Agriculture News Story-Regional; Best Agriculture Feature Story National; Best Agriculture Feature Story-Regional; Best Online Story. (GG/Ruel Francisco, PIA-Cavite)