Echoes From
BY JOHNNY DAYANG
Bright leaf of journalism
The age of the internet brought with it the near-demise of tobacco. Maybe, it’s a coincidence. But you have to admit, the world wide web made it easy to spread a virtual tsunamis of negative material on nicotine.
Soon enough, a rabid anti-tobacco public grew out of this info glut and shortly after, legislation that threatened to gut the smoke out of every stick of cig.
But this week’s column isn’t another dig at an industry that brings jobs to hundreds of thousands of poor Filipino farmers.
This is about an earnest campaign to promote promising developments in our often ignored, weakly supported, perpetually blighted agricultural sector – through excellent journalism.
Yes, this is about the 4th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards, sponsored by Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI) and Fortune Tobacco Corporation (FTC), precisely to give a voice to Philippine agriculture.
“It is important to bring to light the issues and movements that define today’s agricultural industry by encouraging reportage in the sector,” said Chris Nelson, president of Philip Morris.
I was privileged to be chosen again as one of the judges together with Rep. Mark Leandro Mendoza, chair of the House committee on Agriculture; literary giant Krip Yuson, veteran journalist Fil Sionil, and the venerable Dr. Constancio De Guzman.
The awards night conferred top honors to veteran Ilocos Sur community journalist Teddy Molina whose entry, “Tobacco: Not only for Smoking,” won the Tobacco Story of the Year award, including a custom-built trophy, an I-pad, a handsome cash prize, and an overseas travel opportunity.
Molina is a second-time winner, having won the plum award during the 1997 Bright Leaf competition.
This year also saw the introduction of the Oriental Leaf Awards for journalists that have consistently contributed winning pieces. Melpha Abello and Zac Sarian, both from the Manila Bulletin, were recipients of the category.
For a country where almost 70 percent of its 90 million people directly or indirectly look to agriculture for jobs and livelihood, the Bright Leaf awards does more than give agriculture a voice.
Most important of all, it puts back in the agenda table of government, the primacy of agriculture in defining the nation’s development goals.
Congratulations to the winners and organizers of the 4th Bright Leaf awards !!
BY JOHNNY DAYANG
Bright leaf of journalism
The age of the internet brought with it the near-demise of tobacco. Maybe, it’s a coincidence. But you have to admit, the world wide web made it easy to spread a virtual tsunamis of negative material on nicotine.
Soon enough, a rabid anti-tobacco public grew out of this info glut and shortly after, legislation that threatened to gut the smoke out of every stick of cig.
But this week’s column isn’t another dig at an industry that brings jobs to hundreds of thousands of poor Filipino farmers.
This is about an earnest campaign to promote promising developments in our often ignored, weakly supported, perpetually blighted agricultural sector – through excellent journalism.
Yes, this is about the 4th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards, sponsored by Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI) and Fortune Tobacco Corporation (FTC), precisely to give a voice to Philippine agriculture.
“It is important to bring to light the issues and movements that define today’s agricultural industry by encouraging reportage in the sector,” said Chris Nelson, president of Philip Morris.
I was privileged to be chosen again as one of the judges together with Rep. Mark Leandro Mendoza, chair of the House committee on Agriculture; literary giant Krip Yuson, veteran journalist Fil Sionil, and the venerable Dr. Constancio De Guzman.
The awards night conferred top honors to veteran Ilocos Sur community journalist Teddy Molina whose entry, “Tobacco: Not only for Smoking,” won the Tobacco Story of the Year award, including a custom-built trophy, an I-pad, a handsome cash prize, and an overseas travel opportunity.
Molina is a second-time winner, having won the plum award during the 1997 Bright Leaf competition.
This year also saw the introduction of the Oriental Leaf Awards for journalists that have consistently contributed winning pieces. Melpha Abello and Zac Sarian, both from the Manila Bulletin, were recipients of the category.
For a country where almost 70 percent of its 90 million people directly or indirectly look to agriculture for jobs and livelihood, the Bright Leaf awards does more than give agriculture a voice.
Most important of all, it puts back in the agenda table of government, the primacy of agriculture in defining the nation’s development goals.
Congratulations to the winners and organizers of the 4th Bright Leaf awards !!
Tobacco industry is a billion dollar industry, and 95% of tobacco products are solely for manufacturing cigarrettes and cigarrette related product. Materials on the internet regarding tobacco are not "negative". They are mostly to promote the unhealthy effect and addictive use of tobacco on people. Yes, they are negative materials to Philip Morris and other cigarrette manufacturing companies, but a positive campaign to every people especially the young children who are very vulnerable to start smoking for the rest of their lives. Smoking kills, and if you look and compare at the billion of dollars spent on lung cancer treatments and research, farmers earning from growing tobacco does not even make a cent to $100 ratio. Tobacco is a very wealthy lobbyist who are bribing goverent officials to promote their addictive, unhealthy products. I hope the media and journalists will stand up against their real agenda. Farmers can always grow other agricultural products, and please don't patronize tobacco farmers that they are growing tobacco for organic pesticides. If you are a true journalist and has received awards from Philip Morris and the likes, think of what is their real agenda behind tobacco industry. I hope your children don't start smoking too!
ReplyDeleteMr. Dayang:
ReplyDeleteYou have a misguided and biased commentary article here. How can you defend by saying that there are "tsunamis of negative material" on the Internet about the tobacco industry. Do you think Philip Morris is really concerned about your health and the health of millions and millions of men, women, and children who smokes? Or maybe they are just concerned of promoting their industry to make billions of almighty dollars and pesos of their addictive, cancer causing product. Just because they some pennies to give awards to jounalism to promote their real hidden agenda, you can't justify Philip Morris as farmers savior in the agricultural industry. Remember, all they want is for people to keep smoking. Now tell me, what is right about it?
For the two comments... Your absolutely correct.
ReplyDeleteJohn D. Cruise