2016 Bright Leaf Awards: Ushering a brighter tomorrow

The 10th year of Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards is kicking off in its search for the best agriculture stories for 2016.

Launched in 2007, Bright Leaf invites journalists from all over the Philippines to submit their stories and photos for a chance to bring home the prize for the following categories:

• 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, and

• The Oriental Leaf Award. This special award is given to those who have won five Bright Leaf Awards in any category. The Oriental Leaf Awardees become part of the Bright Leaf Hall of Fame, an elite group of journalists.

For 2016, Bright Leaf will be going around the country in style. To celebrate its 10th year of honoring the best and brightest in agricultural journalism and to bring the contest to a wider audience, the new Bright Leaf caravans will visit 15 cities — the highest number of places that Bright Leaf has ever visited in a year. And aside from meet-and-greet sessions with local media practitioners, there will also be more activities for participants, including:

• Roundtable discussions on pressing agricultural issues with representatives from the Department of Agriculture, local government units, and community leaders;
• Workshops on feature writing and photojournalism in selected areas; and
• Beneficial community-related activities in selected areas.

To honor the most important, ground-breaking, and outstanding agricultural news stories is the highlight of the Bright Leaf Awards. These stories should have been published in print media or aired on radio and television. The awards also celebrate the best photojournalists in the industry – those who are able to capture the spirit of an aspect of Philippine agriculture in one frame.

There is no entry fee required to enter. Journalists and photographers may submit several entries for consideration. However, an entry may not be entered in more than one category. Entries should be published, aired, or broadcast between September 1, 2015 and August 31, 2016. The deadline for submission of entries is September 1, 2016.

Entries may be in English or any of the Philippine languages. For entries that are not in English, participants will need to submit an English translation.

Winners will be receiving cash prizes, premium items, and an all-expense-paid trip in an Asian country. For more information, you may contact the Bright Leaf Secretariat at (0915) 550-8301 or (0918) 413-0797, (02)5456425 email [email protected] or visit the Bright Leaf website at www.thebrightleafawards.com.