Radio and agriculture
Despite rapid technological developments in the communication sector, radio remains a powerful medium, particularly in rural Philippines.
Its power, however, has not been fully harnessed to propel agricultural development.
Radio has a rich history in the Philippines. We should build on it. Innovative ways to use radio to help small farmers and fisherfolk have been tried and proven. They should be replicated and expanded. If done, we will be able to support President’s Noynoy Aquino’s and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala’s goal of sustainable agriculture and a better life for our rural population.
Professor Elizabeth Enriquez ([email protected]) recently gave us a brief glimpse of Philippine broadcast history.
In 1922, an American known as Mrs. Redgrave started test-broadcasting with a 5-watt transmitter from Nichols airfield. Henry Hermann followed her with a broadcast from three stations that same year. This made Philippine radio the earliest in Asia, even ahead of Chinese radio by at least six months.
More recently, Louie Tabing brought honor to our country. He launched the Tambuli project with UNESCO funding of $25,000. It won the UNESCO rural communication prize, ranking first among 22 other international contenders. This Tambuli project is now “Voice of the Small Community for the Development of the Underprivileged.”
Its five winning objectives can be made part of today’s radio programs. They are to provide local access to information; allow villagers to express themselves; link Filipinos together as a community; strengthen the sense of identity; and transform the audience from mere receivers to participants and managers of a communication system.
Louie Tabing has continued his contributions with the same passion infused into Tambuli. He did this through dzMM’s “Sa Kabukiran,” a multi-awarded radio program from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Why so early?
Unlike in the urban areas, small farmers and fisherfolk are already awake and working at this time. They can turn on their radios in their homes when they wake up and bring them to the farm lands or seas where they source their livelihood.
This way, they learn while they work. Tabing reports agriculture developments, educates on technical issues, and with his panel of agriculture experts, answers questions from all over the Philippines.
His program has catalyzed both the public and private sectors to combat the dreaded scale insect infestation that threatens our coconut industry.
Tabing has used the radio even in fighting smuggling. Last November 2011, he announced over the national airwaves a partnership with Alyansa Agrikultura and the Bureau of Customs. Farmers and fisherfolk can text (0918-930-2118) or e-mail ([email protected]) the following information: the goods being smuggled, where the smuggling is taking place, and the date of the alleged smuggling incident.
This information is immediately sent to the Alyansa Agrikultura, which processes this information and sends it directly to the Bureau of Customs. Successes in combating rice and onion smuggling have been recorded, thanks to the power of radio.
Another very helpful early morning radio program is Radyo ng Bayan’s Maunlad na Agrikultura. This is hosted by Francis Cansino from Monday to Friday. Cansino believes technology is a key to agriculture development. His program focuses on inexpensive and very effective agricultural technology that can help the small farmers and fisherfolk.
Last December 2011, one example showed immediate results. This is the segment on the profitable technology of beekeeping. For just P15,000, a coconut farmer can set up two honeybee colonies. After the first year, the net income is P15,000 from honey alone. Another P2,000 can come from beekeeping byproducts such as pollen. Since the bees increase the coconut output by 30 percent due to cross pollination, this adds another P7,000. The total net income is thus P24,000.
Cansino’s program brought this project of John Domagtoy (0917-885-1173) to the attention of PCA Administrator Euclides G. Forbes. Forbes has since made beekeeping a national program for coconut farmers with the appropriate funding.
Every Tuesday, Cansino includes an Alyansa Agrikultura report on key current agricultural issues. Farmers and fisherfolk can then phone in recommendations on what action can be taken to address these issues.
Philippine radio was the first in Asia, the first among 22 international contenders for the UNESCO Rural Communication Prize, and has done many firsts in terms of practices. More public and private support should therefore be given to radio. This action will be especially helpful to our municipal mayors, who are primarily responsible for our agricultural development. We must now realize, advocate and fully support radio as a key initiative that will fulfill the promise of our nation’s agricultural development.
