Honorable Mayor Michael Pangilinan inaugurated the signing-on of Nutriskwela Radyo Kapalayawan DWNH-FM 100.1 FM during the closing program of 3-day Hands-on-training on Nutriskwela Community Radio Broadcasting on October 7 – 10, 2017 at Paluan Municipal Gymnasium, Paluan, Occidental Mindoro.
The hands-on-training was attended by the members of the community radio council composed of representatives from various sectors of the municipality such as the Women’s Association, Senior Citizen’s group, Farmers group, the academe, and the local government unit of Paluan. The training was administered by MQ Media Zone Production, a media company commissioned by the National Nutrition Council to set-up community radio stations and provide capacity building for the Nutiskwela Community Radio Network Program. The trainers and facilitators were distinguished speakers in the field of radio broadcasting and journalism such as Mr. Andy Vital, a former radio broadcaster of DZRH, Mr. Louie Tabing, radio broadcaster of DZMM, Mr. Francis “Kiko” Flores and Ms. Mackay Quadra of MQ Media Zone. The National Nutrition Council was represented by Mr. Francis Erik P. Bacena, Nutrition Officer I of NNC – MiMaRoPa.
Through the training, the radio council members learned the basics of broadcasting and identify their roles as they formed the organizational structure of the community radio council and formulated the editorial policy and the vision, mission and goals of the station. The training also served as a venue for the community radio council members to test the facility of the radio station which is located at the public market of Paluan.
The municipality of Paluan was chosen because it has the 2nd highest prevalence in malnutrition in the province and it has limited access to frequency modulated radio as the municipality is surrounded by mountains. Moreover, Mayor Pangilinan accepted the offered radio station without hesitation as he sees the potential of broadcast media in addressing malnutrition in the municipality through dissemination of nutrition and health information. In addition, the radio station can also serve as a public service medium in discussing social issues as well as disseminating educational and developmental information, and current events taking place in the municipality.
Nutriskwela Radyo Kapalawan is the 39th Nutriskwela radio station established from the Nutriskwela Community Radio Network Program. The station was named “Radyo Kapalayawan” meaning “to love”, as they will nurture the people of Paluan with correct nutrition, health, educational and developmental information securing a brighter future of Paluan through love and compassion.
The Nutiskwela Community Radio Network Program of the National Nutrition Council was conceptualized as a need for a long-term, cost-effective approach to address hunger and malnutrition in the Philippines. Nutiskwela Community Radio Network Program involves in setting up non-profit, non-partisan community radio stations and the training of broadcast personnel in areas of the country with high malnutrition prevalence and which do not have easy access to broadcast media.
