3 PDI correspondents awarded

BAGUIO CITY—Three INQUIRER correspondents were among the journalists honored in this year’s Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards on Friday.

Richard Balonglong, INQUIRER Northern Luzon photo correspondent based in the summer capital, won the 2012 “Agriculture Photo of the Year” for his entry, “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

Pangasinan correspondent Gabriel Cardinoza’s article, “Weather-proof fish cage seen as savior of aquaculture industry,” which was published on Nov. 2, 2011, was chosen as the “Best Agriculture Feature Story” in the national print category.

Another correspondent, Ilocos Sur-based Leoncio Balbin Jr., won the “Tobacco Photo of the Year” award for his entry, “Hanging Thoughts,” which was published in Candon Times, a weekly publication of Candon City.

This was Balonglong’s second straight year to win in the agriculture photo category. Last year, his entry, “The Sweet of Thy Brow,” which was published by the Baguio weekly, Cordillera Today, was chosen as agriculture photo of the year.

Balonglong, Cardinoza and Balbin joined six other print and television journalists who were honored at ceremonies held at the Hyatt Hotel Manila.

Since 2007, the Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards has been honoring outstanding journalists and photographers in the country for their reportage on the agriculture and tobacco industries.