GMA News Online special report on RTL’s impact on Filipino farmers fetches Bright Leaf Award, CMMA citation

GMA News Online’s special report, which re-examined the impact of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) on Filipino farmers and on the landscape of the rice industry five years after it took effect, has received recognition from the 18th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards and the 47th Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA).

The article “For Better Or Worse? The Plight of Filipino Farmers After Five Years of Rice Tariffication Law” —authored by GMA News Online senior news producers Anna Felicia Bajo, who is covering Malacañang, and Ted Cordero, who is covering several beats in the business sector, including agriculture— was named Best Online Story by the Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards.

The awarding ceremony was held on November 6, 2025 in Makati City.

The same special report received a special citation from the CMMA for the best investigative report category.

The citation, according to the CMMA, was given “for shining a powerful and necessary light on the quiet dignity and struggle of Filipino farmers, whose lives and livelihoods were changed in the wake of the Rice Tariffication Law.”

The award night was on November 19, 2025 in Manila.

The in-depth report takes off on how rice farmers are dealing with the lower prices of unmilled rice, or palay, with some of them opting to sell scrap instead of planting rice.

The piece also highlighted how the RTL polarized the rice farming sector, with some benefiting from competitiveness support initiatives provided under the law, while others were left behind, unaware of a state fund meant to help them compete with unlimited rice importation.

“This story touched our hearts, compelling us to pursue more stories that aim to improve the welfare of the country’s vulnerable sector,” Bajo said.

“We dedicate this recognition to our local farmers —the ones who feed our nation but are the most affected by changes in government policies. As journalists, it is our job to amplify their voices; thus, the stories we write should compel our policymakers to rethink their policies to change the conditions of our farmers for the better,” Cordero said.

READ: FOR BETTER OR WORSE? The plight of Filipino farmers after five years of the Rice Tariffication Law