1. I. OVERVIEW
Communication, like breathing, is so much a part of human life that we take it
for granted. And this is where the problem begins. Communication, unlike
breathing, cannot be taken for granted. People assume that they are
automatically communicating when they speak or write, but that is not always the
case. (Maslog, 1988)
Communication happens only when someone listens, and when both speaker
and listeners, or writer and reader, attach the same meanings to the words they
use.
It is not enough, however, that we speak to communicate. What we speak of
must be understood by the other fellow. Otherwise, there is no communication.
This is where the Philippine media have fallen short during the last month’s
tragedy in Luzon. They were delivering information during that day, but they were
not prioritizing information. Actually, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) did not even say in advance
how strong that typhoon was. On that day, we even had a field trip in the
southern part of Cebu not knowing that a strong typhoon will hit Central Luzon. I
cannot believe it when after arriving from the field trip, I knew from a friend in
Manila that they already have the difficulty in passing through the roads because
of the very strong wind and rain.
Let’s ask this one question running in our mind. What is broadcast media?
These are communication outlets that utilize air space, namely television and
radio. Take note of the words “utilize air space”. When you say utilize, you have
allocated and distributed all your resources equally in a given amount of time.
Another question is that did the Philippine media utilize their air time in providing
the Filipinos accurate and efficient information?

2. The Philippines and other less developed countries, we can look at mass
communication, or the broader term communication, as an instrument for
national development. (Maslog, 1988) The media should have used their power
to save the Filipino people from any disaster. It cannot be denied that another
role of mass communication in society is to entertain. This applies to mass media
in all societies, whether developed or developing, democratic or authoritarian.
What the media should recognize now is for them to balance their roles in our
society. They should know when to entertain the people and when not to. They
should manipulate their influence to the people they are catering to. Even in
public service announcements before it happened, they have neglected to inform
the people the danger they will be facing. But it’s too late already. Everything was
lost. PAGASA today is announcing every tropical depression that is coming in the
country that it would be a super typhoon. This is good in a way to warn the
people, but looking it in the other side, it is like giving threats to the Filipino
people. Nevertheless, at all times, man is sometimes the reason why those
tragedies happened to them because of their not being so participative in
protecting our natural resources.
II. The Broadcast Media: The Most Effective Medium in the Time
of
Crisis
The electronic media came much later than the print media to the Philippines,
as in other parts of the world. Of the electronic media, radio came first to the

3. Philippines – as early as 1992, during the American regime – only two years after
the first American radio station was set up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Maslog,
1988)
Since Philippines is made up of hundreds of islands, it so difficult to tap the
problem of every community because of its wide range distribution of people
around the country. Of all the media of mass communication in the Philippines
today, radio commands the widest subscription. As in the rest of the developing
world, the affordability of radio sets and the ability of radio technology to reach
people in remote areas that do not enjoy the amenities of electricity make it the
most accessible of all media. Radio’s ubiquity and energy today are a symptom
of its strong connection not only with the nation’s political economic and cultural
life, but also with the daily lives of most Filipinos. In several ways, radio, more
than any another mass medium, is the connection that links the diverse
communities – including the physically and ideologically remote – that
compromise the Filipino nation. (Enriquez, 2003)
In Camotes, specifically in the town of Poro, it is better to have a community
radio for the reason that it is only a very small island in Cebu. Even though the
mass media are more efficient in mass dissemination of information, they are not
as effective in getting people involved in problems and issues of their community.
According to Frances J. Berrigan (quoted by Maslog, 1988), who made a study
for UNESCO in 1979, community media are “media to which members of the
community have the access, for information, education, entertainment, when they
want access. They are media in which the community participates, as planners,
producers, and performers.” In other words, this is a communication facility that is
in the community, for the community, by the community, and about the
community. But, maybe making a radio program first for Poro will be an initial
step to encourage its local government to establish its own community radio in
addressing the problems.
Using the radio as a medium in recommending this program for Poro will be
an advantage because it is easy to tap those barangays located in isolated

4. places especially in the mountain barangays who will be the target audience of
this program. In addition to that, not all locales have a television and most of the
people opted to listen to the radio, specifically to AM stations, because they are
always going to their farms and bringing with them their portable radio to
entertain them and acquire news, so radio will an effective medium in
disseminating information around Poro, Camotes.
III. Objective of the Program
Akin (2005) stated that "mass media" is a deceptively simple term
encompassing a countless array of institutions and individuals who differ in
purpose, scope, method, and cultural context. Mass media include all forms of
information communicated to large groups of people, from a handmade sign to
an international news network. There is no standard for how large the audience
needs to be before communication becomes "mass" communication. The media
have enormous importance to conflict resolution because they are the primary --
and frequently only -- source of information regarding conflicts.
The Municipality of Poro has a total land area of 6,388.7 hectares. The
timberland area is 736 hectares while 5,650.7 hectares are classified as
alienable and disposable land. According to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan
(2000-2009) of Poro, 55.20% of the total land area of Poro is very highly
susceptible to erosion, 1.60% is slightly susceptible to erosion, and 43.20% is not
susceptible to erosion. So base from the presented data, some parts of Poro is
prone to landslide.

5. The following are the objectives of this proposed radio program:
1. To give awareness to the people living in the mountain barangays of Poro,
namely: Adela, Altavista, Cansabusab, Mabini, Libertad and Pagsa that
their places will probably be having landslides.
2. To ask participation from the community as field reporters and to be
vigilant on what is going on to their natural resources.
3. To provide guidelines and instructions how to prevent their places from
this projected catastrophe, and
4. To encourage the LGUs, the municipal government, and other NGOs in
Poro to help preserve Mother Nature before it’s too late.
IV. Nature of the Proposed Program
After 1950’s and 1960’s, most radio stations tended to have just one
continuous program, be it a specific kind of music or extended talk. Both music
and talk often varied only to the extent that the program host was different.
Stations are often classified by generic format or broad general category of
programming. A station’s format, however, is more than just the type of music
played or the fact that a station airs nothing but news. A station’s specific format
is that collection of production elements that makes a station unique:
announcer’s style, grouping programming and spots, the play lists, and the
rotation and the frequency at which songs are played and repeated. For a radio

6. station to maintain a consistent sound that attracted and held listeners, it was
theorized that there needed to be some consistent pattern to the programming.
Play lists and the format clocks (or music wheels) were the answers.
(Haggerman, 1993)
“Pagmatngon” will be the title of this program because this program will focus
more about the environment and will keep on reminding the locales not to abuse
the natural resources. Basically, the content of this program will be predominantly
local news around Camotes; particularly in the barangays of Adela, Altavista,
Cansabusab, Mabini, Libertad and Pagsa; updates about the monitoring of those
landslide-prone barangays; step-by-step instructions on how to preserve the
forests and the quality of soil of Poro even on their own little way so that they will
always be reminded in protecting Mother Nature; drama series; and discussions
about their places especially during the months of June to December because
typhoons often visits the country so that they will be guided what to do. However,
this program will not focus so much in entertainment.
It would be convenient to say that no particular style of announcing is always
found with each of the formats. Of course, this is not the case. There is no one
formula applicable to all stations of one genre. There may not be even two
independently stations that follow exactly the same guidelines. So, obviously,
announcer profiles will differ as well. (Haggerman, 1993) This will also be
applicable to this projected program wherein this program will be a combination
of other formats but also, there will be a predominant genre featured here.
Report will be the dominant genre this program will have, a little bit in drama,
discussion and trivia questions. This combination will be used so as to answer
the objective of this program that is to give awareness, ask for the participation of
the community, and encourage the LGUs and other NGOs to help preserve
nature. Also, based from my survey, 45% of the locales of Poro answered that
they preferred to listen to that program when it is more into reporting style. It
would be useless if the program will use other format other than this when the
target audience preferred listening to this.

7. You cannot see a radio announcer. Skilled professional announcers are
constantly engage in intellectual exercises. They must be forever on the alert to
understand what is happening in the environment – both in the immediate world
about them and on the wider national and international scenes. Announcers
faces the challenge of providing materials of interest to the listener in a manner
that is both provocative an insightful. In many instances, announcers choose the
material to be presented. They carefully prepare their material that is not only
entertaining but purveyors of valuable information as well. (Hagerman, 1993)
Since this program will focus more into the environment, the announcer will be an
environmentalist, preferably a male environmentalist. Why environmentalist? It is
because he is more knowledgeable in delivering and in giving the news and
information about nature by the time this program will be aired. Why male? It is
because they sounded more credible and truthful while talking on-air because of
their big and deep voices. In addition to that, according to my survey, 100% said
that they prefer to listen a masculine voice because they have good voices and
for them, it is good to pay attention to. This announcer needs to display
confidence to achieve credibility. A lack of confidence can sometimes lead to
nervous and uncontrolled actions. Announcing also entails attitudes of grave
responsibility. This announcer has an obligation to the station owners, and
management, to the listeners, to the advertisers (on commercial stations), and to
themselves. These qualities should be the character of the presenter on this
proposed program, because the aforementioned attitudes are some of the basic
tools for a presenter to be effective enough.
V. The Community

8. This proposed program is intended for the town of Poro, specifically to the
mountainous barangays, namely: Adela, Altavista, Cansabusab, Mabini, Libertad
and Pagsa. According to the CLUP (2000-2009), there is a possibility that a
landslide will occur on this places because of its land capability. Choosing these
communities can surely give benefits both to the programmer and the listeners.
Below are the details about the place.
Geographic Location
Poro is a fifth class municipality situated in Poro Island, one of the three
islands comprising the Camotes Islands in Cebu Province. The municipality of
Poro is approximately 565 kilometers southeast of Manila, 62 kilometers
northeast of Cebu City, and 54 kilometers west of Leyte.
Land Area
As noted earlier, the municipality of Poro has a total land area of 6,388.7
hectares or 63.887 square kilometers. The timberland area is 736 hectares while
5,650.7 hectares are classified as alienable and disposable land.
Climate

9. The municipality of Poro falls under the fourth type of climate. Rainfall is
evenly distributed throughout the year. The most common air currents are the
northeast monsoon, the trade winds and the southwest monsoon. The general
directions of the winds are from the north to east (October to January), from the
east to the southeast (February to April), and the southerly (May to September).
Topography
The municipality has mixed topographic reliefs. Areas around barangays
Mabini, Poblacion, Altavista and Libertad which cover a total land area of 2,658.8
hectares or 38.82 percent of the total land area, have very steeply sloping lands
in many directions to very mountainous to hilly areas.
On the other hand, areas along the northern portion of the municipality,
particularly barangay Esperanza, have broad areas of nearly level lands and
gently sloping areas with land sloping in one general direction. This slope
category occupies and estimate land area of 3, 729.9 hectares or 54.46 percent
of the total land area.
Soil
The municipality of Poro has six types of soil, namely: hydrosol, bolinao
clay, faron clay, mandaue clay, faraon clay steep phase, and Medellin clay.
Table 1 further describes the soil type of the municipality of Poro.

12. Erosion Potential
The natural environment undergoes changes brought about by natural
processes. One of the processes is erosion, whose rate depends upon the
topographic relief, soil type, climate and vegetation cover.
Analysis shows that the planning area has three types of erosion potential
classification, namely: slightly susceptible to erosion, not susceptible to erosion,
and very highly susceptible to erosion.
Table 2 describes the erosion potential of the planning area.
Table 1
SOIL TYPE
Poro, Cebu
SOIL TYPE CHARACTERISTICS AREA PERCENT
Soil in the hydrosol is accumulations of
deposits of fine clay and forming into a small
delta. Such soils have very poor agricultural
Hydrosol value because of their drainage and high salt
15.60 0.24
content. Plants found in the area are mangrove
type which consist of bakuan, api-api,
pagatpat, tanagl, langoray, nipa palm and
lagulo.
The surface soil is clayey, red to bright red,
ranges in depth from 15 to 10 cm. and
moderately friable, granular when dry, slightly
Bolinao clay sticky when wet, bur those not shrink or crack
1680.20 26.30
in open drying. It is fairly rich in organic matter
and probably contains exceedingly large
amount of iron. It is widely cultivated to
economic crops an coconut.
The surface soil is clayey, black with coarse
blocky or granular structure, plastic when wet
but very friable when dry. It is highly
Faraon clay calcareous. He subsoil is clayey, yellow brown
713.00 11.16
to grayish brown, slightly friable when dry. This
soil type is widely planted with coconut,corn
cassava, banana and numerous fruit trees.

13. This soil type is made up of alluvium originating
from the inner uploads whose materials are of
engenous origin. The surface is also free from
Mandaue Clay Loam any salt concentration.
144.00 2.25
This type of soil is very well drained. Water
freely flows down the slope or percolate in the
soil through the porous rocks. Plowing is
Faraon Clay Steep seldom done because of the very steep slope,
849.30 13.30
thus cultivation is done by hands implements.
Phase
The surface soil of this type which ranges in
depth from 25 to 30 cm. The deep heavy clay
is very sticky when wet and becomes hard
Medellin Clay when dry. There are no stone or rock outcrops,
1634.25 25.58
is as black as the surface soil and has a good
coarse granular structure with a strong plastic
consistency when wet but slightly hard when
dry.
This soil type is stronger on the surface than
the Bolinao Clay. The surface of the phase has
anaverage depth of 10cm. It is also red,
moderately friable and when wet. Cultivation is
Bolinao Clay Steep mostly by hand. 1352.35 21.17
Phase
TOTAL 6388.7 100.00
Source: Bureau of Soils (CLUP)
Table 2
EROSION POTENTIAL
Poro, Cebu
EROSION POTENTIAL AREA PERENT
Not susceptible to Erosion 2761.45 43.20
Slightly susceptible to 99.60 1.60
Erosion
Very highly susceptible to 3527.70 55.20
Erosion
TOTAL 6388.70 100.00
Source: CLUP

14. Table 3
LAND CAPABILITY
Poro, Cebu
LAND CHARACTERISTICS AREA PERCENT
CAPABILITY
Very good land; can be cultivated safely,
A 2761.50 43.25
requiring only simple but good farm management
practices.
Very hilly and mountainous, barren and rugged;
Y 3526.90 55.27
reserved for recreation and wildlife or for
reforestation.
Serious soil condition, swampy
C 15.60 0.24
Low fertility, doughtiness and slight salinity
B 84.70 1.24
TOTAL
6388.70 100.00
SOUR CE: CLUP
With the
data

15. presented from the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of Poro, we can conclude that
most of the barangays are prone to erosion which may lead to landslide.
VI. The Audience
On this proposed program, radio will be the medium to be used because
of the Porohanon’s way of living as mentioned earlier. Locales in Poro who
consume this medium are people who are not working as accountants, call
center agents, or engineers. They are only working on their farms from sun up
to sun down. They cannot earn enough money to buy a television, instead
they buy portable radio because it is cheaper. As of 2008, 29,131 is the
estimated population of Poro and the following are the projected population of
the barangays of Adela, 2,234; Altavista, 1,466; Cansabusab, 562; Mabini,
1,412; Libertad, 1,665; and Pagsa, 957 as the target audience of this
program. From these populations from each barangay, 100% said that they
depend their food consumption from their farms.
Particularly, ages from 55-80 years old will be the target audience in this
program. This will be aired in an AM station around 11:00 am to 11:30am
because based from my survey, all of the respondents will be going to their
farms from around 5:00 am to 8:00 am and roughly around 9am, they are at
home already. And around 4pm to 5pm, they will go back to work to get their
pastured animals. It would be advantageous to put this program around 11:00
am to 11:30 am because while the families are still preparing for their lunch,
they can listen also. If this will program will be put around 1:00 to 3:00pm and
6:00 to 9:00pm, maybe they will be taking a nap or already sleeping.

16. 95% said that they wanted news to be included in the program. 5% said
that it is better to have music as a dominant element. But, as what is noted
earlier, this program will predominantly have news.
VII. Benefits the Program will bring
As mentioned earlier, this will be a beneficial program for a smaller
community in Poro. First, this will provide awareness from the danger they will
be facing in the future because of Poro’s soil erosion potential and the
capability of its land. Second, this encourages the participation of the
residents of Poro to be responsible in watching over its resources for future
use. Lastly, this will make the whole Poro in unity to help develop the area.
VIII. Needs and Costs
Producing a program like this which is a combination of live and recorded
segments is not an easy thing to do. It takes a little longer to completely finish
the whole program in a day three times a week. Especially in the drama
segment, even though it is not a lengthy drama, but the voices of the talents
should be trained first how to sound like this and that because this program
will only have three talents and they will be doing many things at a time.
Since there will be citizen reporters, the station will provide them tape
recorders which costs around Php 1,200 and mini cassette tapes, Php 400,
for their fieldworks. Also, the reporters will be given some honorarium for their
other expenses that is approximately for one month is Php1, 200 for four

17. reporters. For the three talents, roughly around Php1, 200 is their salary per
person for one month of service.
The announcer will be trained also to do multi-tasking jobs in a day. He
will also be a DJ for a while when the program clocks requires him to do so.
Since he is more into the environment, he should also learn how to operate
any software (e.g. jazzler, windows media player). The DJ/presenter must
only play OPM, oldies, classics and Bisrock music since this program will
catering to the adults. In addition to that, the station will provide him internet
connection for his researches for updates around the country so that he can
transmit or report it to the smallest communities in Poro.
Once a week there will be a discussion segment, guests will receive
tokens also.
For the trivia segment, the host will have to provide also trivia questions
twice a week.
IX. Sustainability Strategies
First of all, to maintain this program, there will be higher salaries for the
announcer and the talents for doing many things at a time because this can
make them stay in the program. To do this, the station should have to ask the
LGUs, municipal government and other NGOs around Camotes and Cebu to give
money with a minimum of Php 5,000 each of them every month because this will
also be an advantageous program for the many since the Mother Nature is
already calling our cooperation to save the environment. Also, the station will ask
assistance from the Department of Natural Resources for any community

18. concerns. Moreover, the station will ask advertisers to advertise with them
because the program is a new one and the program will be open for some
revisions from them, maybe they do not like the way the program should be, but
the station will not allow them to make major changes so that this proposed
program will not be distorted.
X. Sample Clock
This projected program will be aired thrice a week in an AM station, every
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Below are the sample clocks for the first week
of this proposed program.

19. MONDAY

20. WEDNESDAY

21. FRIDAY
XI. References
BOOKS
Enriquez, E. L. (2003). Radyo: An Essay on Philippine Radio. CCP, NCCA.
Haggerman, W. (1993). Broadcast Announcing, 6th ed. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall,Inc.
Maslog, C. (1988). A Brief History of Philippine Mass Communication. Quezon City: New Day Publishers.
Reinsch, J. L., & Ellis, E. I. (1960). Radio Station Management. New York: Harper and Row.
Severin, W. J., & Tankard, J. W. (2001). Communication Theories: Origins, Methods, and Uses in the Mass
Media, 5th ed. New York: Addison Wesley Longman.
UNPUBLISHED SOURCE
Municipality of Poro. (2000-2009). Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

22. WEBSITES
Akin, J. (2005, March). Mass Media. Retrieved October 16, 2009, from www.beyondintractability.org:
http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/mass_communication/
PAGMATNGON

23. Eunice A. Borlasa