Sarangani journalist Genory Vanz Alfasain received an award as the Best Agriculture Feature Story for the regional category at the 16th Bright Leaf Agricultural Journalism Awards held on November 13 at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City.
Alfasain earned recognition for his insightful article, “Rey John Basco’s Journey to Empower Coffee Farmers”, which was published in SunStar Davao on June 15, 2023.
His story shed light on the achievements and struggles of small-scale coffee farmers in Sultan Kudarat, highlighting their significant impact on local communities.
Alfasain’s dedication to capturing the essence of regional farming life and the challenges faced by agricultural communities resonated deeply with the award jury.
In his Facebook post, he shared the motivation behind his journalistic endeavors. “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,” he said.
“This award validates that I’m on the right track, providing a platform for their voices,” he further expressed.
Alfasain was one of two distinguished individuals from Mindanao who were recognized in the competition. The other was Bong Sarmiento of Mindanews, who received the award for the Tobacco Story of the Year for his piece “Unknown to Many, Tobacco Farming Thrives in Sarangani.”
The Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards is an annual recognition program in the Philippines, which aims to celebrates outstanding contributions to agricultural journalism.
Bright Leaf also honors exceptional reporting in various categories, including news, features, columns, and television programs, focusing on agriculture, rural development, and other related subjects.
This year’s competition, which attracted over 500 entries nationwide, honored 12 winners across 11 categories. Of the 12 winners, seven celebrated their first win at the Bright Leaf Awards. (HJPF – PIA SarGen/All Photos courtesy of Genory Vans Alfasain)
