Every Friday at 12 noon, people with radio sets in the
province of Aklan pause from lunch to listen intently not
on the twists and turns of the latest soap opera but to
find out how the people they put into public office are
performing.
Thanks to the "Limog it Pag-eaum" (Voice of Hope) program
simultaneously broadcast over four radio stations in the
province, listeners have begun to participate in public
life. While it focused on providing Aklanons an opportunity
to know their candidates and present their agenda in the
May 2001 elections, Limog it Pag-eaum was actually a carryover
from an earlier project of the media and civil society groups
in the province.
It was a unique experiment in getting the usually intractable
media to partner with other sectors to address a pressing
concern then in Aklan: child sexual abuse. Through the facilitation
of the Uswag Development Foundation, a widely respected
non-government organization in the province, the media reluctantly
joined in the series of discussions to formulate strategies
to address the issue. The result was the formation of the
Citizens Council on Social Concerns (CSSC) with Uswag initially
providing secretariat support.
From there, as Jay Tejada, program director of Radio GMA
in Kalibo and one of the most active members of the council,
would say, "things simply fell into place." The contribution
of the media to the effort was the creation of the Limog
it Pag-eaum over two broadcast stations, encouraging listeners
to talk, incognito if they want, about their own encounters
with child sexual abuse cases. People began to engage in
discussions on the air with invited panelists.
"There was a very perceptible change also in the way journalists
covered cases like rape,' says Tejada. "The program made
us more sensitive."
From there the radio stations, through the Kapisanan ng
mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas, began planning other projects
one of which was the "Media in Partnership with the Community
for Good Governance." It was not only a collaborative media
coverage of the May 2001 elections but a continuing public
journalism program that has the following for its goals
and objectives:
The consultation was attended by 100 participants representing
media, academe, non-government organizations, people's organizations,
the business, religious, youth, women's sectors, and government
agencies.
In this instance it was the media that facilitated the
consultation in partnership with USWAG and the Philippine
Information Agency. "It was very encouraging to see journalists
becoming part of the process of self-determination rather
than merely staying on the sidelines to cover. I think it
gave us a better perspective and appreciation of what popular
participation is all about."
Limog it Pag-eaum is currently enjoying high ratings; how
to keep it that way seems rather assured at this point
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