FEATURE>>>

COMMENT: On Community Peace Radio
Written by Patricio P. Diaz/MindaNews
Sunday, 18 June 2006

PORTLAND, Oregon – The community-based Peace Radio, as gleaned from MindaNews reports, is a distinctive instrument for peace and development in Mindanao. The latest report (MindaNews, June 13) by Malu Cadelina-Manar raises some questions. An NGO (non-government organization) conducted a capacity development and needs assessment of Peace Radio recently. While the report did not mention the NGO by name, it must be the NDFCAI-WED (Notre Dame Foundation for Charitable Activities, Inc.-Women in Enterprise Development chaired by Mrs. Myrna Barracoso-Lim of Cotabato City. Peace Radio, a project of Gender, Peace and Development launched in 1999, was initially funded by the United Nations Multi-Donor Program Phase 3, Canadian International Development Agency and UNESCO-Jakarta and implemented by NDFCAI-WED. There are 15 Peace Radio stations in the most conflict-affected areas of Mindanao.

Assessment

Involved in the assessment were the broadcasters and the Community Media Education Council, obviously the body coordinating the Peace Radio stations. One assessment session was held at DXUP-FM in North Upi and another at DXIB-FM in Barira, both in Maguindanao.



Assessed were: (1) the willingness of the radio personnel to continue their volunteer services; (2) the kind of community-based programs needed; (3) other activities and services to be undertaken; and (4) the personnel’s understanding of the acceptability and need (as well as the needs) of the community Peace Radio stations.

The report did not mention the responses to the first three objectives. Re-the fourth:

To the personnel, the stations are where they learn and improve their capacities; to the people, the stations are where they share their sentiments, feelings and ideas.

The stations are responsive to the programs of the local governments (LGUs) and they unite the Muslims, Lumads and Christians to strengthen their relationship

In North Upi, DXUP-FM promotes the Teduray culture and traditions as well as those of the Muslims and the Christians.

In Barira, DXIB-FM promotes peace and uplifts the socioeconomic life in the community through programs teaching livelihood skills.

Programs relevant and appropriate to the needs of the local people have made DXUP-FM and DXIB-FM popular and acceptable.

They direly need “additional financial support from the LGU and other funding institutions for the purchase of mobile transistors and other radio equipment.

Concerns

From what I remember from MindaNews reports, Peace Radio stations are on the air on hours when local people are home from their work. And they are staffed by volunteers, some of whom are government workers. Their programs are focused on peace and development.

These are not commercial stations which earn revenues to pay their personnel, operation, maintenance and expansion. UNDP, CIDA and UNESCO-Jakarta must have provided the 15 stations with equipment and trained the personnel. To what extent these agencies have been supporting Peace Radio, we don’t know.

That the support of the LGU is considered necessary shows the limited support the stations get from the sponsoring agencies. Will NDFCAI-WED be able to find new sponsors for their continued operation?

As crucial as the question of sustained funding is how committed are the volunteer personnel. Voluntarism has limitations. These volunteers must have work somewhere – in the government, in private or in the private sectors. Their work can affect their commitment to Peace Radio.

Apolitical

As much a concern should be how Peace Radio can remain apolitical and insulated from interests other than those within their vision-mission. As long as they are funded by international agencies and overseen by NDFCAI-WED, they will remain focused on their vision and succeed in their vision.

Promoting peace and development through socioeconomic and cultural programs is a role that no other media entities are as committed to as Peace Radio is. Social, economic and cultural subjects are generally featured in community and national newspapers, radio and television. But they are not focused on local communities and people to motivate them into action.

It is the focus and motivation, I’m inclined to believe, that make Peace Radio distinctive. It is not – and should not be – distracted by partisan politics and the mad competition for rating and profit.

However, without the steady revenue to sustain its operation, how can Peace Radio remain focused on its vision-mission for the local communities and people? It is torn between two necessities – focus and insulation to serve well according to its vision-mission and securing funds to sustain its existence.

LGU Support

As reported in MindaNews, “most of the broadcasters, technicians and CMEC members agreed that without the LGU support, ‘sustainability of Community Peace Radios will be difficult, if not impossible’.”

What support does Peace Radio receive from the LGU? In terms of funds, how much? The MindaNews report states further “the need for additional financial support from LGU and other funding institutions for the purchase of mobile transmitters and other radio equipment”. The local governments must be counterpart-funding Peace Radio.

Will the time come when Peace Radio will be totally funded, directed and supervised by the local governments? That is the inevitable if without LGU support it would be impossible for Peace Radio to continue existing.

Should that time come, will Peace Radio not lose its vision-mission to partisan politics?


(“Comment" is Mr. Patricio P. Diaz' column for MindaViews, the opinion section of MindaNews. Mr. Diaz is the recipient of a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Titus Brandsma for his "commitment to education and public information to Mindanawons as Journalist, Educator and Peace Advocate." You may e-mail your comments to patpdiaz@mindanews.com).