Maragusan to upgrade community radio station

Maragusan to upgrade community radio station 

April 18, 2011 

Maragusan Municipal Mayor Cesar Colina on Friday revealed a substantial amount of funds available this year to upgrade a community radio station, this province.
In last Friday’s 16th anniversary celebration of DXLM, “Ang Lanog sa Maragusan,” Colina bared the municipal government allotment of P700,000 to upgrade DXLM, a local FM station put up by the municipal government but governed by the Municipal Community Media Council (MCMC).
He wanted the broadcast power of DXLM FM be raised so its signal can reach nearby municipalities, delivering information and messages beyond Maragusan.
Part of the funds is intended for studio improvement of DXLM station which is now lodged at the Municipal Hall compound from its original location in barangay New Albay, 16 years ago.
The municipal government also allots P60,000 budget for the activities of MCMC which has sectoral representation from the group of women, elderly, youth, farmers, academe, church and local government employees.
VOLUNTEERS
Colina wanted MCMC volunteer-broadcasters to earn from advertisement fees so they would no longer work purely on voluntary basis, but he asked them to take charge of selling their program airtime.
He however, asked station management to come with a sharing-scheme of advertisement fees and to set the level of ad rates.
DXLM Station Manager Alona Hernandez said DXLM FM has about 60 volunteer-broadcasters who are receiving an honorarium of P50 per broadcast hour to cover the cost of their transportation and other miscellaneous expenses they incur in line with their work.
Aside from municipal government employees tasked to air accomplishments and announcements from each LGU offices, sectoral representatives to the MCMC also serves as broadcasters.
Among them are 71-year-old Leonila Agan and 75-year-old Angeles Barrona who both have been part of the community broadcasters pool since 16 years ago when DXLM FM was merely a community public address system (COMPAS).
HISTORY
DXLM started as a COMPAS taken after the Radio Tacunan located in Tugbok, Davao City, and designed to deliver information on agricultural technology to farming communities of Maragusan through hoisted bunch of loud speakers.
In her presentation during the 16th anniversary of DXLM FM, Maragusan Municipal Administrator and Information Officer Lorita Gonzales, said the setting up of a community radio station in Maragusan was legislated in 1994.
It finally came about in 1995 through the help of the Department of Agriculture and its aligned research agencies: the Southern Mindanao Agricultural and Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMARRDEC) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).
She also credited UNESCO and the Philippine Information Agency XI for assisting Maragusan LGU in setting up and running at the early stage of its community radio station.
Gonzales said that the then community radio station was first set up in New Albay which was surveyed as the appropriate area to locate the COMPAS studio considering its proximity to farming communities.
The municipal government of Maragusan under the then Mayor Manolo Yanong put in P85,000 while the barangay government of New Albay chipped in P4,000 to set up the COMPAS.
The Maragusan Community Information Council (later renamed as Municipal Community Media Council) was created composed of representatives who, among other tasks, act as broadcasters.
Old-time DXLM broadcasters, Agan and Barrona recalled how excited they were when they took part in the series of training on broadcasting and when they visited Radio Tacunan where they had hands-on experience on running a radio program.
Agan popularly known on-air as “Leony” now runs “Panglawas sa Katawhan (Public Health)” program over DXLM FM every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and anchors a religious program, “Ang Tingog sa Kamatuoran (The Voice of Truth),: every Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Barrona, known as “Angie” on-air anchors a program for the elderly entitled, “Dili pa Kami Laos (We’re not yet weary)” every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and runs the “Kababayen-an sa Panimalay (Women at home),” every Tuesday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Agan and Barrona claimed they both have been enjoying their work as community broadcaster volunteer, and that they are willing to go on-air as long as they can make it.
“Hangtod sa makaya pa. Nalingaw mi sa among gihimo (We’ll do it as long as we still can. We are having fun.),” 75-year-old Barrona said.
MEDIUM
Meanwhile, Colina has made use of DXLM FM as a medium of reporting to the public some significant accomplishments of the local government and to announce new policies.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has also tied up with Maragusan municipal government to use DXLM FM as a medium in running the Radio-based Instruction Program (RBIP) under the Alternative Learning System (ALS). (PIA-11/Jeanevive D. Abangan)