The PAJ story is worth telling and retelling

MANILA, Philippines –  The Philippine Agricultural Journalists (PAJ), organized in 1976 by a group of agricultural journalists, turned 34 years old last Sept. 23. It is probably the oldest press organization in the country after the National Press Club (NPC).

The PAJ story is one that is worth telling and retelling, according to Rudy Fernandez of The STAR who has been a director of the group for quite a number of years now.

It is the story, he said, “of pen-wielding men and women who have blended together in the common effort to expunge a disconcerting paradox that has characterized Philippine society for decades.”

The paradox is this, he said: “Although the Philippines is basically an agricultural country, agriculture is one of the most neglected segments of the national economy.”

Too often in the past — and even today, he said, lip-service was all that the agriculture sector got: “the farmers are the backbone of the nation;” “from now on agriculture will be the centerpiece of the national development program;” “agriculture will be the main component of the country’s national economic recovery program.”

Within the period from its inception to the present, the PAJ has worked seriously on various projects aimed at gaining for itself stability and respect of its peers in journalism. It has likewise not gone slack in pursuing its role as the medium that links the farmers to the government for the improvement of agriculture.

One of its projects which it started 33 years ago which has done a lot of infusing the much-needed spirit into agricultural journalism is annual Binhi Awards, a writing contest aimed at fostering greater professionalism, commitment and depth among agricultural journalists. It is today considered the most sough-after recognition by agricultural writers who, while doing their share in nation building, also garner the prestige that go with it.

The PAJ has many other on-going projects, among them conducting agricultural forums and educational field trips, all geared towards strengthening the agricultural journalism profession.

Jenny Ng of the Business Mirror who covers the agriculture beat, is the group’s current president. Its former presidents include Roman Floresca and Mary Ann L. Reyes of The STAR; Michael Alunan, and this writer, both formerly with the Manila Bulletin, Ruben Pascual, Fred Gabot, Jesus Espinosa, and the late Ching Ilagan.