Chapter 37—"Hour of Discovery” Radio Ministry Reaches Hearts & Minds

Our involvement in radio works and radio ministry was long.

In 1968 in order to help strengthen farmers and laborers education works, PANELFU opened “People to Peoples Program” a 30- minutes radio program at Station DYRI in Iloilo City. I was assigned anchorman and news commentator. By that time, PANELFU has some 350 village chapters in Panay. We would reached out to them through “People to Peoples Program”. Rudy Bernal interviewed some students, farmers, and farm laborers wherever there were opportunities.

We were “On the Air” daily, 7 days a week Mondays to Sundays at 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Through the radio program we reached out to Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Aklan and Antique.

But on August 21, 1971, grenades exploded at Plaza Miranda in Manila during a public rally of the Liberal Party. Two days later, August 23, 1971, President Ferdinand Marcos suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus all over the Philippines. On that day, I left Iloilo City with Atty. Nicolas Centeno and proceeded to Hipgos village in the mountains of Lambunao. We will take our rest in the mountain villages for some days. We sent a tape- recorded the following to DYRI, telling them It is our last broadcast. We will return later, when a new opportunity opens. “People to People’s Progam” was on the air for nearly two years.

In 1975, four years after, when I was working as Pastor of Maao Central Evangelical Church (MCEC), in Bago City, Negros Occidental we started a new radio program, We call it “Hour of Discovery” over Radio Station DYVS in Bacolod City. We were “On the Air” every Wednesday morning at 4:30 a.m. -5:00 a.m. It was a religious broadcast trying to reach out to the heart and minds of churches and communities with a spiritual message with some political directions. We were on ” On the Air” for 7 months at DYVS

Then. we decided to transfer “Hour of Discovery” to Station DYHB, the strongest radion station in Bacolod City with a power of 10,000 Watts. “Hour of Discovery” was “On the Air” for 2 ½ years, until I resigned from Maao Central Evangelical Church and joined the Covention of Philppine Baptist Churches as one of the staff of the CPBC. .

In 1984, several years after my appointment as Director of the New Frontier Ministries of the Convention, we opened again “Hour of Discovery” radio program at Station DYRI in Iloilo City. We were on the “ On the Air” sevral years unti late i988. n on October 1988,

I resigned from CPBC on the 3rdquarter of 1988. Difference of opinion with the top leaders of CPBC, specially Rev. Penueltio Sacapano and Rev. Edwin Lopes, who was serving as CPBC consultant gave me one of the hardest decisions of my life, my resignation as Director of the New Frontier Ministries of the Convention. But I feel I have no choice. I have to resign.

After my resignation I tried to find work, which included making and producing Salted Peanuts and selling to stores all over Iloilo City. In about 11 months, we have some 150 outlets in the city selling our products. By that time we were earning a little less than when I was Director of the New Frontier Ministries of the Convention.

Then, emy friend Mr. Ake Svalfors came in middle 1987. He was President of Bromma Baptist Church in Sweden. He told me Bromma Baptist Church has stopped their project with CPBC. He asked me to undertake a joint program between Aklan churches and Bromma Baptist Church. I decided that we will organize Aklan Development Project with the following as officers of the project - Pastor Domingo Bernal, Giovani Iguiz, Nestor Ebiel, Pastor Dionita Irao-Villanueva and Pastor Rudy Bernal as consultant.

The project was based in Brgy. Rosal-Ortega, two nearby villages of Rosal and Ortega, the hinterland villages of Libacao municipality. We planted sbaca. We started hemp production. We also started planting trees on the mountains to battle with soil erosion. Then we organize Rosal-Ortega Cooperatives. We planted 75 hectares with different trees to fight erosion and provide livelihood to farmers. The DENR supported the project by paying the members their labor. The coop has also an arrangement with DENR that coop members will take care of the plants until it grew and harvested. DENR will pay the coop members. When harvest time came, the coop and and DENR will given equal share of the lumber.

February 1989, with my wife Hesther, we decided to start a radio ministry again. It was long since were out of the air lanes. We decided to start our broadcast with DYRP. On our maiden broadcast, we were joined by our friend Frank Carilimdiliman as one of my two listeners that afternoon. It was a new venture of faith. We were again on the air on a radio ministry. It was faith, our capital for the new dream. Our fund was only good for 5 months broadcast time.

We continued our broadcast with faith, that God will open new way for Hour of Discovery ministry. We have now several thousands listeners in Iloilo, Panay and Negros Occidental.

Sometimes in mid-1989 Rev. Olof Lindstroms visited us in Leganes, when he visited Iloilo City and the Baptst Convention I invited him to stay until Sunday, so he can speak on “Hour of Discovery” Many years ago, he also spoke on a program we have with CPBC. He joined us that afternoon, and spoke to radio listeners which by that time, were steadily growing. There were some letters that arrived at the stations. I read some of the letters to our radio audience while Rev. Linstrom was by my side and will speak on the air.

Rev. Lindstrom, our speaker spoke for about 17 minutes. We have 30 minutes air time. He enjoyed his time, after I asked him also some question and he answered on the air. We have a good job working together. Then, as we ready to leave, Rev. Olof Lindstrom said, he would introduce “Hour of Discovery” to his friends, the pastor and some leaders of CyrkumKirkan {Farsta Central Church) in Sweden. In 2 months, Farsta Central Church’s letter came to us, telling us that the church will support “Hour of Discovery” for the next 3 years which enabled us to broadcast 4 years. Then after that, Farsta Central Church supported us again for the following 3 years.

With the additional support of Farsta Central Church, we expanded “Hour of Discovery” Radio Ministry to DYFM-Iloilo City, DYRI, Iloilo, DYVR Roxas City and GMA Bacolod City. And 3 years later, we expanded to GMA-Iloilo, Bombo Radio -General Santo City and to another Radio Station in Bukidnon

I spoke every week to several stations in Iloilo, Roxas City, Bacolod reaching out to the people Western Visayas and beyond. We reached out on the Air Waves, some NPA and CPP in the hills. We shared the simple messages of God’s Love, that saves, redeem and liberates us from the forces that enslaved and buried the poor in poverty. And some listened to our message. For Jesus Christ’s social, economic, political and revolutionary perspectives was similar, if not the same with the communists in some countries of the world.

Jesus fought and condemned the oligarchs of his time. He condemned the elites of his generations. But he was a friend of all the poor and the masses struggling for better lives. Jesus fought not with arms and guns but fought with his ideas and thoughts. He fought with his minds.

Few years ago, April 22, 2017, I met Caster, a former NPA commander. He is a farmer. He fought for more than 20 years when martial law was declared. There were times, when he and his group were building guerrilla zones in the mountain boundaries of Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan and Antique. It was a lonely place to live. And also dangerous. For often, military operations were in nearby areas.

They were building their camp with small huts. These were their sanctuaries against the rains and coldness of the nights. For a short moment, he shared to me his life in the hinterlands. “It was hard. It was lonely. It was always dark. We could see only little lights at noon, when noontime lights penetrate heavy leaves and foliage of “lunok” trees that covered the skies.” He said, he continued with his group fighting the cause for liberation. Caster remembers me. Rather, he knew me. He told me, he always listened to “Hour of Discovery”, our radio ministry.

“Hour of Discovery” was designed to study biblical, social, historical and political realities of our time. It was a radio program that spoke softly and clearly the evils of the elites and super rich, who owned and controlled for themselves, the lands that God has intended for all people to use for their living. Feudalism and oligarchy were evils that buried the masses of our people in deep poverty and hopeless lives.

1Wilson D Guanzon

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