Since it was launched in 2007, more and more journalists from all over the Philippines have been submitting their stories and photos hoping to bring home the trophy 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 a Bright Leaf Award in any category for five years. The Oriental Leaf Awardees become part of an elite group of individuals that comprise the Bright Leaf Hall of Fame.

As part of its efforts to collect more entries every year, the Bright Leaf team will embark on a roadshow across key cities in the Philippines to personally invite local media practitioners to submit their entries and answer any questions they may have about the awards. Again, more provinces and cities will be visited to reach more journalists to participate in the annual competition.

For this 9th year, Bright Leaf roadshows will have special guests who will speak about agriculture issues in the region as well as veteran journalists and members of the academe who will share valuable knowledge with our attendees to help them better their craft.

The Bright Leaf Awards honors the most outstanding and relevant agriculture stories that were published or aired on radio and television. It will also celebrate the work of photojournalists who successfully capture, in one snapshot, the essence and the heart of the agriculture industry in the country.

Bright Leaf is the name given to Virginia Tobacco because it turns into a vivid yellow when it is cured with intense heat. It is the variant of choice for manufacturing tobacco products. It is also a most appropriate name for one of the most competitive agriculture journalism competitions in the Philippines.

And, since there is no fee to enter, journalists can submit as many entries as they want. However, a story cannot be entered in more than one category. Entries should be published, aired or broadcast locally between Sept. 1 2014 and August 31, 2015. Entries may be in English or any of the Philippine regional dialects. For entries that are not in English, participants are required to provide an English translation. The deadline for submission of entries is September 4, 2015.

For more information call the Bright Leaf Secretariat at (0915) 550-8301 or (0918) 413-0797, send an email to secretariat@thebrightleafawards.com or visit www.thebrightleafawards.com.