A SUNSTAR Davao contributor won the Best Agriculture Feature Story (Regional) in the 16th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Award held on November 13, 2023 at Fairmont Hotel in Makati City.
Sarangani-based journalist Genory Vanz Alfasain’s award-winning piece, titled "Rey John Basco's Journey to Empower Coffee Farmers," talks about small-batch coffee farmers’ successes and their positive contributions to their communities. The article was published by SunStar Davao on March 12, 2022.
“For years, I've passionately penned stories about our region's advocates, particularly farmers, aiming to raise awareness, connect them with key people, and advocate for their concerns,” Alfasain said in his Facebook post.
“This award validates that I'm on the right track, providing a platform for their voices,” he added.
Alfasain was one of two Mindanawons who won awards in the prestigious competition — the other one was Bong Sarmiento of Mindanews for Best Tobacco story.
The Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards, an annual recognition program in the Philippines, aims to honor excellence in agricultural journalism.
The award also acknowledges exceptional reporting on agriculture, rural development, and related subjects across diverse categories including news, features, columns, and television programs.
This year, the Bright Leaf Agricultural Journalism Awards received over 500 entries nationwide across its 11 categories. ICE