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Manila Bulletin Business Reporter Derco Rosal
A story from the Manila Bulletin detailing the major threats facing the local tobacco sector was among the winners at the 18th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards.
The winning story, “Wilting laborers, sprouting smugglers: The crisis in the Philippine tobacco industry,” was published in the Manila Bulletin and was written by business reporter Derco Rosal. He took home the Tobacco Story of the Year award.
Rosal’s feature offered a close look at the serious issues challenging the tobacco industry, especially in Northern Luzon.
The report captured the daily struggles of elderly tobacco farmers, whose intense physical work in the heat brings in less and less income. The story pointed out that the industry is facing a future without workers, as many young Filipinos—often educated using money earned from tobacco—are choosing to leave the farms for stable office jobs.
The piece also exposed how the illegal cigarette trade is crippling the legal market. Cheap, smuggled products are aggressively undercutting local growers and processors.
Rosal, who graduated from the University of the Philippines Baguio with a degree in Communication, joined the Manila Bulletin in September 2024.
He has quickly become a reporter covering the finance and economic beats, primarily focusing on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Finance (DOF).
The awarding ceremony took place on Thursday night, Nov. 6, in Makati City.
The Bright Leaf Awards, first established in 2007 by Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI), aim to promote detailed and impactful reporting on the country’s agricultural sector.
