Valencia City’s ex-mayor Galario: from radio adversary to broadcaster

He used to be a staunch critic of the broadcast media, even padlocking radio stations in Valencia City during his two-term stint at city hall. But guess who is now a broadcaster himself — operating, programming, and going on-air in his own radio station.

Former Valencia City Mayor Jose M. Galario Jr. now operates DXVC, a new 1-kilowatt FM radio station broadcasting from Bagonta-as, Valencia City.

The station styles itself as a member of a network of radio stations owned by the Polytechnic Foundation of Cotabato and Asia, Inc. (PFCAI).

Aside from playing music, the station airs a commentary program hosted by Galario himself. He said its programming is not “scripted” and is determined to report the truth in the city.

Read full report here.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Elections in Mindanao, Governance, Local Governance, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Politics , Bukidnon, Valencia City

Bishop Pacana: Let there be no silence in the peace process

While praying for silence in the battlefields, Bukidnon Bishop Honesto Pacana called on both government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to keep on talking and never to allow times of silence in the peace process.

Pacana said the silence of the guns is not enough unless there is continuing dialogue between the two parties.

The bishop described to MindaNews the peace process situation at the moment as “experiencing silence.” He said the ongoing hostilities are a proof of that as he appealed for a continuing peace process.

He has called for prayers among the Catholics for peace as they celebrate Christmas in his homily for the first morning mass on December 16 at the San Isidro Cathedral.

He has appealed to the faithful to include in their prayers peace in the country, especially in Mindanao.

Pacana said even if Bukidnon is not directly within conflict areas related to the GRP-MILF problem, it has its own peace issues.

Read a full report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Indifgenous Peoples, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Mindanao's communities, Mining in Mindanao, Nature and Environment in Bukidnon, Peace Process, Philippines

A paper fighting for survival

Cut-throat and new competition, lack of reliable marketing personnel, and the “global crisis” hit Bukidnon’s local newspaper over the past months.

To survive, a series of austerity waves splashed our small newsroom and over the past months it has affected operations.

Until one day, the publisher announced retrenchment or downsizing or whatever.

We will be forced to squeeze limited resources, go the extra mile, bid goodbye to some close colleagues just to stay alive.

This is the best time to do “magic” from little resources to big dreams.

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Bukidnon, Human Rights, Malaybalay City, Mindanao Media, Philippines

The never ending story of war —right in our backyard

Waking up to a broadcaster howling against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front one morning, I was tempted to turn the radio off.

 

The grain of his voice has pestered me in my space in that corner of the house.

 

“Maayo ng girahon sila kay gusto man diay nila og Independence!” Gusto pa gyod nila iapil ang tibuok Bukidnon aron mohimo sila og regional government!” (It’s good to go to war with them since they wanted independence. They also like to cover the whole Bukidnon in a bid to form a regional government!).

 

I was really forced to get on my feet even if I only had three hours of sleep yet and dialed the radio station.

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Art and Culture in Mindanao, Business, Economy, Education, Every Day Mindanao, Governance, Human Rights, Indifgenous Peoples, Justice, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, People Power, Philippines, Politics, Safety, Security

Being present at the Fourth Mindanao Media Summit

Participants take time to smile and relax for a date with posterity (Photo by Skippy Lumawag courtesy of Mindanews)

The formal sessions of the 4th Mindanao Media Summit just concluded early afternoon today, 09 August 2008.

The theme: “Mindanao 2020: The vision begins with us”, is placed in an imposing tarp at the back draft. It was a reminder to me as a member of the group who took on “drafting” the vision from the participants. “Where are the other members of the styling committee?” I asked myself.

I ate a late breakfast today as I stayed late for my recent attempt to write a narrative report. So when I entered the summit hall, I have to do some catching up on who did what the night before.

I caught up on the secretariat who were busy calling the rest of the group for the picture taking.

Meanwhile, I picked the shiniest plate on the buffet table and proceeded to feast on hotel breakfast. In my peripheral vision and hearing I could hear Jocan talking me to drop the breakfast for a moment and smile it out in the photographic firing squad.

I managed some sips of brewed coffee and few scoops of the one-serving steamed rice and the hard-boiled egg and beef curry sud-an. I have to or I couldn’t move a muscle to say “cheese”. Oh, I went there seconds later as I have to squeeze in my summit shirt. I went there to see if the pool was really tempting enough for some laps of swimming, to regret I didn’t plunge when I could last night.

The last day of the three-day gathering of Mindanao media’s “decision-makers” started with quaint picture taking by the poolside of the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Lanang, Davao City.

It was supposed to capture for the future the faces of the news professionals who participated in the summit in a step to improve capacity as stakeholder to peace and development in Mindanao.

Inihanay sa:ARMM, Access to Information, Blogging and Mindanao, Bukidnon, Davao, Education, Elections 2007, Elections in Mindanao, Freedom, Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Mindanao's communities, The World from Davao

What?

I can’t delay this. Perhaps there is no other time.

I have due respect for the competent people at Reuters, but I have to raise this one.

Reading the news below have disturbed me as a resident in Mindanao and as a citizen relating to many decent Muslims everyday.

There is clearly bias here and stereotype —working to anticipate a public notion.

If its the hideout that is suspected to be of the terrorists, where is the connection to “Islamic militants?” as presented in the first paragraph? Is terrorism = Islamic militants? Are we sure the government has learned to distinguish between an Islamic militant and a law-abiding citizen?

Inihanay sa:ARMM, BIMP - EAGA, Davao, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Mindanawon around the World, Peace Process

Broadcaster files raps vs. ComVal legislator in Mindanao

Compostela Valley board member Neri Barte is now facing charges of serious physical injuries, grave coercion, grave threats, serious misconduct and grave abuse of authority for allegedly attacking a Radyo Natin broadcaster right inside the announcer’s booth as the latter was on air.

Natin broadcaster Roel Sembrano filed the complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman in Mindanao in the presence of his colleagues from the tri-media.

Sembrano recounted to reporters his encounter with Barte on Oct. 24 at the announcer’s booth.

He said he was on his daily morning program, Haring Lungsod Ikaw and Nasayod, when Barte, with his wife and daughter, barged into the announcer’s booth and mauled him, even drawing out a gun and pointed it towards him. Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Elections 2007, Elections in Mindanao, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Justice, Local Governance, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Safety, Security

What press freedom?

Three months ago, the National Press Club commissioned a group of artists based in Luzon to do a mural depecting press freedom in the country.

Now, the mural, the group, and the NPC share the public limelight with accusations of bastardization and violation of press freedom via censorship. There are also serious questions on intellectual property rights or the rights of the artists to their art as they accused the NPC of altering their artwork.

I remain an observer on this recent issue to catch national attention. The reason, however, why I’m putting this in this platform is because I believe in the group’s rallying point. The group choose to depict the freedom of the press and the fight to keep it, is an issue of the man-on-the-street, not just an exclusive and sole struggle of the journalists in the country.

Read more on the issue at the group’s website here and here. A link also on today’s story at the Inquirer here.

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Freedom, Governance, Mindanao Media

Q&A: ‘Bloggers Have a Social Responsibility’

The Asia Media Forum forwarded this to me today. I’ll share this just in case: 

Once referred to as the ‘most hacked blogger of Malaysia’, Jeremiah Foo moves around in the music, publishing and computer industry circles — yes, all of those. He co-founded the eMuse Network, a pioneer in digital media and content development in south-east Asia. Before becoming a full-time journalist, Foo was the artiste and repertoire manager for Sony Music Entertainment. The multi-awarded songwriter and composer was also co-founder of the National Music Society of Singapore. 

Today, Foo is lecturer and Convergent Media programme manager of ShantoJeremiah Foou University in China, and visiting lecturer of The University of Hong Kong. He is producer-at-large of Asia247.tv, Asia’s first podcast-only English news station, which assists traditional print media to enter the realm of rich media. He is part of mybloggercon, which gathers together Malaysian Chinese bloggers in the hope of promoting Chinese-language blogging as well as to give them a venue to voice out their views about issues in the region. Read the rest of the entry here.

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Blogging and Mindanao, Freedom, Mindanao Media, Philippines

Bye Mac, Hi Aero

Today I opened my ‘kaban’ to reclaim an old friend.

I am trying to prepare myself to surrender the Macintosh laptop the office has allowed me to use.

D’ Mac has been a useful tool even if I complained a lot about its configurations in detecting wi-fi internet in most of the city.

As I move to my next assignment, I have to bid Mac good bye. Now, I’m forced to rejoin a thing of the past.

Inihanay sa:Mindanao Media, Reporting Mindanao, Technology

Survival Tips in Traveling Around Mindanao

By Penelope C. Sanz / MindaNews / 5 November 2005
(Republished with permission from the author)

A FEW MONTHS BACK, I wrote about the snorer, spitter, smoker, and pukers in a bus ride. This time, despite needing to pass an academic requirement, here I am writing about how to survive traveling in Mindanao. After a recent trip to Butuan City, I figured I have to sift through my old journals and collate the dos and don’ts of traveling I have listed down at least over 10 years of running around this ‘promising island’.

For starters, the must haves in your survival kit: a shawl, flashlight, loose change or coins, white flower, a plastic bag, a bottle of water, some candies, alcohol, tissue paper.

Never leave home without a shawl. It protects you from dust and the UV rays when you’re on a long habal-habal (motorcycle) ride to nowhere. It is also useful to cover yourself when you need to pee in the middle of nowhere. Shawls also keep you warm when traveling at nighttime especially in airconditioned buses. Bus drivers would tend to turn it on full blast to keep their seats cool because it is where the machine is throbbing.

Inihanay sa:Every Day Mindanao, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Mindanao's communities, Safety, Security, Travel and Transportation, Trips - Adventures - Escapades

Mrs. Arroyo goes to Tamayong

How I wish my news organization owned a chopper. Better yet, I wish teleporting is real.

The thing is, I can only dream about it while transfixed to a presidential chase today. The object of our chase probably didnot even know that we exist, more so that we were looking for her.

Right in the middle of a taxi ride from SM City to Davao’s airport, I caught myself mouthing to my colleagues: “Why am I pursuing this coverage?”

Inihanay sa:Davao, Governance, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Monologues, News, Philippines, Politics, Reflections, Updates