The “Queen City of the South”, Cebu City, now boasts its first-ever LGBT-centric radio program, thanks to Bisdak Pride’s “Patas ang Gugma (Love is Equal)” that is on air at DYCM 1152 kHz from Monday to Friday from 3.30PM-5:00PM.
According to Roxanne Omega Doron of Bisdak Pride, “Patas ang Gugma” came into being “because of the support of an LGBT ally.” That is, “I’m friends with the station manager of DYCM, and he offered me to work with their marketing.” This friend “asked me what programs the station can develop; I couldn’t think of anything else, so I offered my LGBT advocacy. He agreed.”
And so right after the May 2016 election, “Patas ang Gugma” went on air.
DYCM (1152 kHz Cebu City) Bag-ong Adlaw, by the way, is an AM radio station owned and operated by Makati Broadcasting Company (formerly Masbate Community Broadcasting Company). It is an affiliate of the Archdiocese of Cebu, with a studio at 201 2/F Dona Luisa Bldg., Fuente Osmena Ave., Cebu City. The broadcast area includes the Province of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Leyte, Biliran, Negros, Samar and Bicol.
“Patas ang Gugma” is hosted by Alvin Truya, board member of Bisdak Pride, and Crisologo Bradley Mondejar, member of the management committee of Bisdak Pride. “We also send members to serve co-hosts so they learn about radio programming,” Doron said. “That way, we train our members.”
The content is divided into three segments. First, there’s a news segment about everything LGBT; this is not specific to Cebu, “since we include news relevant to the LGBT community,” Doron said. Second, “we have guesting… like a talk show,” Doron said. But those who become guests “are not just the sikat (popular). Everyone is welcome. This way, kunin natin ang kanilang kasinatian (we get their experiences), discuss their katungod (rights) and kaugmaon (future).” The third segment is the giving out of advise, including on dealing with love and work-related problems, so “we also give some guidance.”
There are birth pains – e.g. development of the daily programming, and funding (particularly since Bisdak Pride is already looking at making this effort sustainable). But that “Patas ang Gugma” exists is already a source of Pride.
“The stereotype re LGBT people in the media is that we’re only good in the entertainment beat. We provide an alternative to that; we try to focus on our advocacy because we want the program to be a mouthpiece of our LGBT advocacy,” Doron ended.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/patasanggugma/; or to hear past episodes, visit http://www.dycmcebu.com/.
