However, it took awhile after I graduated from university to finally break into radio. It was in 1989, when I got my very first break to go on-air with a 6-7pm slot on DWAN 1206 AM (this will be very significant later). It was the legendary Kuya Cesar, the station manager who gave me the break and certified my KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas) application. From then on, there was no stopping me from going on-board: 774 DWWW, 1134 DWDD, 738 Radyo ng Bayan, Veritas 846, 1350 DZXQ, 1278 DZRM, DZUP 1602, 91.5 DWKY-FM, Radyo Pilipinas (the overseas radio of the government) and 1242 DWBL for nearly 20 years for Radyo Kalikasan (an environmental radio show I helped put up with Miriam-P.E.A.C.E.).
I've experienced doing board work in all time slots: sign-on at 4 a.m., morning drive time, lunch time, afternoon cruise, afternoon drive time, sign-off at 12 midnight, weekends, holidays, coup d'etats, state of emergencies, etc.). For me, radio is not work, it's having fun, sharing your thoughts and music, without dressing up. The pay wasn't even great, sometimes I had to shell out more than my pay to get to the station on time but still I plodded on. I experienced being rocked by earthquakes while broadcasting from the 15th floor of Strata 100 building in Ortigas Centre. I had a scary time when Mount Pinatubo exploded on June 15, 1991, broadcasting on the 15th floor and slowly seeing the skies darken. It was also scary every time I go home on New Year's eve when guns were fired in celebration.
I had listeners on-board ships who were listening and had received letters from listeners all over the world, including one from New Zealand who heard me on-air. Aside from my belief that the telephone is the longest microphone, I also believe that once words and music are aired, and depending on the weather conditions, it will carry on far and wide. I felt on top of the mountain when I got an email from a listener who was a colleague of mine while I was teaching in high school. I haven't heard from him in nearly 10 years. He said he would listen to my show together with other Filipinos and that he was now a priest in Uganda.
I thought my radio journey would come to a halt when I moved to New Zealand six years ago. Prior to coming here, I've already researched about Community Radio Hamilton, wishing that one day I might get a chance to go on-air in my new home. A few weeks here and not doing anything related to radio except listening in, I decided to go to the radio station for a look-see. I talked to Dannii Vallely the programme director and also got introduced to Lara Signal the marketing manager and Phil Grey the station manager. I felt electrified inside the station. After a few more visits I handed in a proposal for a Filipino radio show. It was warmly welcomed and a few weeks later I began my training. It was a quick one since I was a bit familiar with the equipment with some similarities from the ones in the Philippines. It was around 5 p.m. of November 11, 2008 when the first Filipino radio show in Hamilton Barangay New Zealand went on-air on 106.7 FM and 1206 AM (there's the connection!). It has been with the station from then on, even when we transitioned to Free FM 89.0 and hopefully forever.
There was a short period when Mabuhay FM went on air on 87.6 FM. It was a part of our history wherein we took baby steps, made mistakes and learned from that experience. The opportunity to go back on air on 106.7 FM came about from an interview I was conducting with Phil Grey for my MPhil studies at AUT University. After the interview, again I felt that electrifying moment that something big and great is happening (so there really must be something from the radiation, a good one I hope). I talked it over with my family and it was decided that I should go for it. I had another talk with Phil (who has been very supportive all these years) and here we are now on 106.7 Mabuhay FM Radio Romance! Thank you for your support. May God Be Praised for this wonderful resource to be of service.
