Region 4A

107.7 Mhz RADYO KAISAHAN-ARYA COMMUNITY FM
MUNICIPALITY OF SARIAYA, QUEZON

History

On 23 November 2010, MQ Mediazone Productions facilitated the forging of a Memorandum of Agreement between the National Nutrition Council (NNC), the Municipal Government of Sariyaya, Quezon, and Sentrong Pamilihan ng Produktong Agrikultura ng Quezon Foundation, Incorporated (SPPAQFI) to put up a Nutriskwela community radio station, now known as 107.7 Mhz Radyo Kaisahan-Arya Community FM.

Sariaya has a total land area of 24,530 hectares and composed of 43 barangays, 6 of which are in the Poblacion. Its population is 115,000 (2002 estimate) and mostly dependent on agriculture, commerce, industry and tourism for a living. Sariaya is the only Mount Banahaw town with a sea coast.

SPPAQFI is the first centralized vegetable trading and distribution post in Southern Luzon. Starting its operations in 2005, SPPAQFI effectively removed the so-called "middle man" in the buying and selling of farm produce. The foundation directly buys the farmers’ produce, provides crop transport services, even seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides. As a result, produce prices are reduced and profits go straight to the farmers.

The NNC-Sariaya LGU-SPPAQFI MOA was signed by NNC Executive Director, Assistant Secretary Maria-Bernardita T. Flores, Sariaya Mayor Rosauro “Boyet” Masilang, and SPPAQFI Chair Carlo Cena.

Both the Sariaya LGU and the SPPAQFI strongly believe that a community radio station is an effective tool in facilitating social change.

Sariaya’s present administration is keen on encouraging its constituents to be self-reliant, ensuring food security, particularly for the marginalized rural residents, and inculcating the importance of good health and proper nutrition.

Similarly, the SPPAQFI is committed to help and teach farmers to profit from the land they are tilling and impress the importance of environment protection. Such aspirations can be carried out through the help of a communication facility that is capable of responsible information dissemination.

Radyo Kaisahan-Arya is located at the SPPAQFI building in Barangay Sampaloc. Aside from Sariaya, its programs can also be heard in the Municipality of Candelaria, portions of Dolores town, and parts of Lucena City.

Hands-on-Training

A training-workshop was conducted 11-12 December 2010. The 36 participants represented various sectors including farmers cooperatives, the fisherfolk community, educators, the LGU, local print and broadcast media, senior citizens associations, the youth, and health workers.

The 3-day schedule of activities covered detailed presentations on Radio Community Broadcasting with emphasis on broadcasting tools and their actual applications, including writing for news, radio plugs, reporting and a discussion on the Broadcast Code of Ethics. Test broadcasts were held simultaneously with the hands-on training

On the third day, after the training-workshop, participants elected from among themselves the Community Radio Council (CRC) officers. These were sworn in by NNC-MQ Mediazone Productions Nutriskwela Project Team Leader Kiko Flores.

The Radyo Kaisahan-Arya CRC officers are: