Radio Sagada as ‘voice of the people’

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon
(Second of two parts)

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- It is worthwhile to note that some texters relayed that the signal of Radio Sagada reaches Conner Apayao, to as far as Banaue of Ifugao.

While some messages say that the radio’s signal reaches parts of Baguio, it must be that the signal reaches the higher elevations of the city as there is another 104.7 FM station heard in the city.

Another program which also slept for some time and now trying to be aired regularly is OFW Exchange and now regularly hosted by Maritess with her radio name ‘Habibi ‘ every 11-12 o’clock Mondays. OFW Exchange talks about the plight and related information on migrant workers. Staff Brenda Doco- Fuchay with radio name ‘Chiquito’ hosts ‘Farmers Hour’ every 4-5 pm Thursdays.

Sagada Mayor Edward Latawan especially acknowledged the significant role of Radio Sagada in bringing information to constituents of the municipality and also to other parts of the province and the Cordillera making government service more accessible by the public.

Recent programs which came in this October include Governor’s Hour aired every Tuesdays at 10-11 by Mountain Province LGU information officer and volunteer Angel Baybay who talks about recent news on the provincial LGU and its services. Another recent program added this October is SB Hour with Mary Carling and members of the Sangguniang Bayan of Sagada.

Religious talks also recently came in October namely EDNP Hour by Rev. Fr. LiobaAgnapan of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines aired every 5-6 pm Sundays. Another religious program is aired every Sunday.

Dr. Penelope Domogo , assistant provincial health officer of the Mountain Province LGU also came in later week of October in her 12 to 1 p.m. Health Hour program. Domogo earlier talked about food and nutrition, visiting the sick, energies on healing; and other health-related topics in the coming programs. Volunteers do around 90-95% of the talk hosting and anchoring.

Special interviews by this writer and Mary Carling are done every now and then where there is a special event for the day like the visit of former Undersecretary of Energy and chairman Engr RufinoBomasang and president Ruth Owen of Phil Carbon who talked on their plan to build a wind farm atop Mt Pilaw.

Another event covered was the visit to Sagada by the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Development Program staff Sheryl Datinguinoo after attending the Mt Data-held September 13 anniversary of the peace talks between the government of the Philippines former president Corazon Aquino and Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army founder Fr. ConradoBalweg.

Special interviews by Mary Carling we4re observed with Southeast Asia Regional Community Empowerment (SEARICE) director for Philippines Normita Ignacio and research consultant Atty Joy Santos-Doctor who happened to hold their assembly in Sagada September this year; and with Rep. MaximoDalog and Sagada Mayor Eduardo Latawan Jr. during launching of the municipal building September this year.

Bridging closer links with kailyan abroad is a subtle role of radio Sagada. A special program ‘Gawis Ubpay nan kasinSumaa’ was hatched with the coming home of expatriate US-based Jerry ‘Page-et’ Abeya who talked about the significance of getting connected with kailyan abroad like getting involved with BIBAK organizations. Interesting text messages were received mostly on finding employment in the US.

Hosted by this writer and MaritessMatulay, this program is done occasionally when a balikbayan comes home. The second guest was PurezaGomeyac- Egmalis who talked about feeling like a tourist when she came to Sagada. Talking perfect Sagada-Kankanaey, Pureza called Lepan in her Igorot name, was raised in the mining town of Lepanto, Mankayan.

Her father is from Sagada and mother from neighboring town of Besao. Both Page-et and Lepan are members of KyE online. Talk hosting eats up some 20-30% of air time including a 5 minute news time by the staff every 8:30 in the morning and 12 o’clock noon. A 15 minute 6: pm news time is read both in English and Ilocano by the staff and volunteer news announcers namely Rafi Manalog, Lumbanay Bawaan and Daisy Omaweng. News aired is sourced from regional papers and the internet, and sometimes gathered from community events. Commentaries on news items by the staff was tried and ceased after few attempts. Public service comes in as the need arises.

Radio Sagada intends to air news and information on topics including women, children, youth, local governance, culture, education, agriculture, religion, health, economy, politics, among other issues of the day and times. Entertainment is another.

In the current radio programs, music fills up almost 70-80 percent of the time depending on the availability of talk hosts.

Music disc jockeying is almost 70 percent is done by volunteers. Volunteer DJ JulienBawing deejays early hours in the afternoon and late morning hours where there are no talk/music programs or talk host is absent, otherwise the staff-officer of the day do the deejaying. Honeybee and Habibi do a regular music program, “Your Choice our Music” every Saturdays and Sundays from 4 to 6 pm.

Volunteer Daisy Omaweng aka ‘Honeybee’ hosts Saturdays and Sundays music time at least eight hours of the time per day less talk hours hosted by volunteers. HoneyBee hosts ‘Day-eng di Kordilyera’, a music program featuring songs by Cordillera music artists every 2-4 pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. ‘Samiweng ’, a music program which features socially oriented songs especially by Saliddumay is hosted by volunteer DJ Marcelo Daweg.

Another volunteer music program ‘Diamonds in Tunes on a Monday Afternoon’ features music artists whether doing rock, country, reggae, soul, folk, or any other music genre and in any language.

DJ volunteer Evelyn Piluden in her folk and country music program is aired every 2-3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and ‘Dag-on’s Basta Love Songs’ by Jane Abad- Fowler every 3-4 Tuesdays and Thursdays. Planet in Blue by volunteer MemraMagsino features environmental songs every 11-12 o’clock Tuesdays. Rock and reggae music is hosted by DJ volunteer Madring every.

Very recently, Rommel Pedro started a music program mostly playing pop music 4-6 p.m. A music program was earlier hosted by three high school students of St Mary’s School Ranville Rosh Medina, Tracy Camtugan, and Mary Leigh Tudlong every 5-6 pm Thursdays.

Radio staff Brenda Fuchay and MaritessMatulay open the radio starting 8 o’clock with Maritess doing Mondays to Wednesdays and Brendahosting Thursdays and Fridays and both airing morning greetings, public service announcements if there are any and a 5 minute news.

The rest of the minutes is spent reading sayings, music disc playing and reading dedications from texters all the way till 9 or 10 oclock before the volunteer comes in for his or her regular talk program. The two staff goes on board again with another volunteer at 6 p.m. and do the 6:15 minute news before playing music till air time fades with the song “Sagada.”

And yes, dear readers of this column and listeners of Radio Sagada, here’s to relevant and inspiring programs attuned with the objectives of Radio Sagada after the launching on a day 11-11-11 so fitting to forward its intentions.