SUNSTAR Davao editor Marianne L. Saberon Abalayan earned the Best Agricultural Feature Story – Regional award at the 18th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards for her story “From Backyard to Breakthrough: How an 18-Year-Old Built a Thriving Mulberry Business.”
Abalayan, the lone winner from Mindanao, received the award during ceremonies held Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City.
Standing here tonight, receiving my very first Bright Leaf Award, feels like a dream God has graciously brought to life,” Abalayan said in an emotional speech.
She shared that her win was a “faith story” in itself. Last August, she had written in her prayer journal, “Win Bright Leaf 2025,” after sending only two entries.
“I held onto that hope quietly,” she said. “So when I got the call that I was one of this year’s awardees, I literally shook and cried tears of joy.”
Abalayan dedicated the award to her late mother, Aleli Saberon, who she said “nurtured my love for reading and writing, and planted the seeds that led me here today.” She also thanked her husband, Alvin, “for his steady love and patience,” and their sons Sean and Shem, her “constant inspiration and greatest joy.”
She expressed gratitude to her siblings, in-laws, close friends, church community at ICOC Davao, and her SunStar Davao family — her “best friends and prayer warriors who believed in me even when I doubted myself.”
Abalayan also thanked the Bright Leaf organizers for recognizing “stories that champion our agriculture sector—stories of quiet resilience, innovation, and hope.”
The last time SunStar Davao won at the Bright Leaf Awards was in 2022, when former editor-in-chief Reuel John F. Lumawag bagged the same regional feature category.
The Bright Leaf Awards, established in 2007 by PMFTC Inc., celebrate excellence in agricultural journalism, honoring journalists who tell stories that inform, inspire, and empower the public’s understanding of Philippine agriculture.
This year’s competition, themed “Inspiring Growth,” drew nearly 400 entries — the most since the awards began — highlighting stories of innovation, challenges, and triumphs across the sector.
“In today’s world, courage means shining a light on complex issues — from sustainability and digitalization to illicit trade, which threatens livelihoods,” said PMFTC President Gijs de Best in his opening remarks. “The media’s role in telling these stories truthfully and responsibly is indispensable.”
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, in a message delivered by NTA Administrator Belinda Sanchez, said: “You do more than inform. You amplify unheard voices and bridge the gap between fields and front pages. In today’s uncertain climate, agricultural journalism is more crucial than ever.”
PMFTC Communications Director Ferdi Echiverri added, “Agri stories deserve to be heard. We hope the Bright Leaf Awards continue to be a platform that celebrates and uplifts these voices.”
18th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards 2025 winners
- Agriculture Story of the Year: “Gintong Puno (The Golden Tree)” – Atom Araullo, produced by Bryan Kristoffer Brazil (GMA Network’s The Atom Araullo Specials)
- Agriculture Photo of the Year: “Bitter Gourd Patch” – Jose Revoli Cortez (Manila Standard)
- Best Agriculture Feature Story – National: “Rice and the Machines” – Junep Ocampo (Agriculture Monthly)
- Best Agriculture Feature Story – Regional: “From Backyard to Breakthrough” – Marianne Abalayan (SunStar Davao)
- Best Agriculture News Story – National: “Philippine Coffee Industry” – Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas (The Philippine Star)
- Best Agriculture News Story – Regional: “Mushroom Farming No Easy Feat, Says Grower” – Iris Hazel Mascardo (The Freeman)
- Best Agriculture Radio Program/Segment: “Bigas” – Welmer Estrada (91.1 FM Jelexie Radio)
- Best Agriculture TV Program/Segment: “Drones4Rice” – Kara David and team (GMA’s Kara Docs)
- Best Online Story: “For Better or Worse: The Plight of Filipino Farmers After Five Years of the Rice Tariffication Law” – GMA News Online
- Best Story in Tobacco Product Alternatives: “Fish Farmers Use Tobacco Dust to Grow ‘Lablab,’ Kill Predators in Ponds” – Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes (The Regional Examiner)
- Tobacco Story of the Year: “Wilting Laborers, Sprouting Smugglers” – Derco Rosal (Manila Bulletin)
- Tobacco Photo of the Year: “Securing Tobacco Leaves” – Wilfredo Lomibao (Sunday Punch)
Winners received MacBook Air laptops, cash prizes, trophies, and Asian trips. RGP