In Sagada, radio station rises for townsfolk

The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Sagada, Mt. Province PHOTO BY DON LEJANO/INQUIRER.net

A community radio station that is run and operated by indigenous peoples was launched in this mountain resort town to feature the voice, views, music and culture of Cordillerans.

Last week, Radyo Sagada 104.7 FM went on air with a commitment to celebrate the culture of Sagada, which, it said, is a place “where the rhythm of tradition meets modernity.”

Mary Carling, station manager, said Radyo Sagada is different from regular commercial stations because its programs are produced by volunteers from the academe, government and nongovernment organizations, and students, artists and farmers.

“This radio station is open to anyone who wants to produce their program. This is … owned by the community. The community [values it] because they volunteered to run it,” she said.

The station’s broadcast can reach other Mt. Province towns like Bauko, Tadian, Sabangan and the capital Bontoc. Its programs can also be heard in parts of Kalinga, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Ilocos Sur.

Conyap Omaweng, 20, a disc jockey who uses the name “Honeybee” on air, said she wanted to connect both young and old generations of Cordillerans in her programs “Day-eng” and “Tukar Cordillera,” where she plays traditional and modern music by Cordillera artists.

“Most [Cordillera] children now are [into] modern and western music. They do not know our traditional songs, such as ‘Salidummay,’” she said.

Bianca Miglioretto, a representative of the 4,000-member World Community Association of Radio Broadcasters (Amarc) based in Quebec, Canada, trained the staff members of Radyo Sagada as the station prepared to go on air.

Miglioretto, the station’s consultant, said a community radio gives airtime to the voiceless and poor members of society.

Most of Radyo Sagada’s programs are devoted to music but it also offers a venue for political discussions through the program “Tutyan di Politika,” which urges listeners and officials to talk about community issues, Carling said.

A program, called “Planet Blue” and hosted by Eugene Magsino, plays songs on the environment.

Since Sagada is a tourist town, visitors can appreciate local culture when they listen to Radyo Sagada, said Mayor Eduardo Latawan.

But Carling said the radio station’s mission is to be a conduit in keeping the Cordillera culture alive.

She recalled a 70-year-old farmer from Besao town who played an ethnic instrument called “labil” in the radio station for almost an hour. “Performances like this can give our people pride and identity,” she said.