M E M O R I E S: Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, his Glimpses on History & the People’s Struggle for Freedom
Chapter 51– Re-Started “Hour of Discovery” Radio Ministry February 1987, with budget for 3 months, but the Lord made it possible to broadcast for about 17 years... …
My involvement in radio ministry doing social, economic, political, advocacy and religious broadcasts was built on simple faith. If God wants me to do a certain kind of work, He will provide the way and means so that the work can be started until it was finished. This was my simple experienced in life and in my ministry.
In February 1987, we started “Hour of Discovery” broadcast at Station DYRP, in Iloilo City. We have money enough only to pay 3 months broadcast time. Our broadcast time was 4:30 -5:00 PM every Wednesday. My wife, Hesther and my friend, Frank Carilimdiliman, who’s ecumenical perspectives was strong, were with me facing each other in the radio station, on our maiden broadcast.
I told Hesther and Frank: “We are venturing into a broadcast ministry. This is a hard goal. It is a venture in faith. If God opens the way, Hour of Discovery broadcast will continue for a year and more. If it was not His will, we must be ready to stop Hour of Discovery in 3 month time.
I gave my message. It was a a simple message. It carried our dream. It was sustained by a strong faith. A belief, that with God’s leading our dreams, faith and hope will never fail. Hour of Discovery was launched on the air that Wednesday afternoon. And it went On the Air for nearly 25 years, moving to DYFM Bombo Radio when DYRP decided to close their broadcast business.
When we ventured in this ministry, we learned a little and developed some knowledge and skills on Project Proposals, Project Feasibility Studies and Project Plannings. We have learned from observations and experiences working some years with the Convention’s Urban Industrial Mission (UIM) and its New Frontier Ministries (NFM), from 1976, that that simple but organized writing skills were very important for generating of needed resources
Project Proposals and Feasibility Studies, has the power to reach local, national and international agencies and entrepreneurs for possible links, partnership and joint ventures so that important projects that cannot be done alone, can be done together – whether evangelisms, education, development works, cooperatives, broadcasting, organic farming, printing and publishing and even in the revolutionary struggles, the skills of Project Proposals and Feasibility Studies will be needed.
For organizations and associations with at least 3 years registration and legal personalities, potential board of directors, credibility and good program can, and often get access to technical, management and financial resources, within and outside the country. Many national and international organizations had technical resources and money in their hands.
But they do not know what programs were needed and where they have to put this resources. A Project Proposal or a Feasibility Study will make this possible. The donors and donee, meet together in the act of partnership or joint ventures, reaching to those who need the programs and services in the local communities direct to the people in need.
Before we started “Hour of Discovery” broadcast, we developed a wide group of possible listeners. We wrote letters to churches and pastors of the Convention Baptists who were our friends. We wrote simple letters, telling them of our broadcast dates and time. We shared with them our dream for a broadcast ministry.
We wrote letters to members of PANELFU, a labor union we knew with 400 chapters in villages and towns in Panay and told them of our broadcast. It was a direct advertizing and promotions work we made. Militant students, we knew and have relationships, were asked to tell their friends of our broadcast date and time.
Then, about 5 months, we decided to transfer” Hour of Discovery” to DYFM-Bombo Radio. By that time, Bombo Radio was the Number One radio station in Iloilo in terms of listener. According to surveys during that time, Bombo Radio has 37% listeners preference in Iloilo City, with some 7 radio stations, AM and FM stations operating.
DYFM-Bombo Radio gave us a 15-minute radio time, on Sundays at 2:00 PM.
We continued to work and build relationship and partnership. We partnered with Rev. Greg Tingson, an Internationally known Evangelists, residing in Manila and Kabankalan, Negros Occidental for a a possible joint broadcast. We will managed the project and promotions.
I asked him to pay the monthly broadcast time. He will speak on the 3nd and 4th Wednesdays. I will speak on the 1st, 3rd and on 5th Sundays. Rev. Gred Tingson, sent a Check for the next month’s broadcast. This arrangement continued for more than a year.
We proposed a joint venture with the National Council Churches in the Philippines (NCCP). And Mrs. Prima Formelleza responded and assisted us several months. Hour of Discovery has now started a little partnership in the broadcast ministry.
Some churches in Panay also sent some amount for Hour of Discovery. Some friends in the churches, in the labor union and farmers association also assisted us. We were able to strengthen our broadcast ministry.
Then , through Rev. Olof Lindstrom, I sent a Project Proposal to Farsta Church in Sweden. In about 3 months time, Farsta Church supported our broadcst ministry for 3 years. Then, the renewed their support for the next 4 years, a total of 7 years. For more than 7 years, Farsta Church supported us, enabling us to open broadcast to 3 stations in Panay and Negros and also in Bukidnon and General Santos City, in Mindanao. .
We then tried to make wider coverage of our broadcast in in Iloilo City, with another broadcast center in Iloilo City. We started broadcast with GMA Iloilo City at 4:30 on Sunday mornings. Former Governor and Senator Rafael Palmares, was leading the Catholic broadcast with reflections and prayer at 4:00 AM on Sundays. I arrived early, and listen to their broadcast. We sometimes have conversations and sharing. He often stay with us at the station and listen also to our broadcast.
It was great to have some little time with a former Governorr and Senator of the country. Rafael Palmares, now a preacher in radio, who in his time. Played big role in the political life of our country. Now, he played another important role in life, by leading reflections and prayers for Catholics every Sunday at 4:00 AM.
To reached out to more radio listeners, Hour of Discovery started also a program with DYRI-Iloilo. It was at 2:00 PM every Sunday. I discovered that radio listeners in Panay have their favourite radio stations, favourite radio announcers, radio newscasters and radio comentators. One way to reach radio audiences was to have a radio programs in different radio stations. And and we did just that. We opened “Hour of Discovery” to different stations in Iloilo City.
Some of our topics where for strengthening of the faith of our people, regardless of the church membership. Most deals with social, ethichal and political issues. Issue that deals on some needs for opening the minds of our people, seeing clearly the issues on Protections of Human Rights and Human Rights violations, like the following messages in radio and later printed and published as a pamphlet and later published in a book.
1. THE APPLE TREE AND THE SPADE, a Reflection of Rev. Birgit Karlson, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Sweden, which we requested her to tape record when he was here in the Philippines as speaker during the Annual Aseembly.
2. HUMAN RIGHTS : DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE FARMERS AND MILITARY HELD AT THE PROVINCIAL HALL OF ILOILO – By Pastor Rudy Bernal
3. CELEBACY AND THE MARRIED PRIESTS – By Pastor Rudy Bernal
4. SELLING WOMEN’S FLESH: LAST WAY SOME WOMEN DO TO LIVE –By Ms. Lucy Francisco, officer of Gabriela Women’s Party
5. SISTERHOOD IS POWERFUL! – By Pastor Liza Lamis, Coordinator, Women’s Program of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP).
6. THE LOVE ROAD –By Rev. Olof Lindstrom, Secretary for Information & International Relations of the Baptist Union of Sweden.
7. THE BAPTIST YOUTH & THE POLITICS OF CHANGE – By Pastor Rudy Bernal
8. A GOD WHO CRIES! – Rev. Gunnel Andreasson, Swedish Baptist Union, Secretary for Asia and Eastern Europe.
9. NEVER REMAIN IN THE TEMPLE –Pastor Leo Claridad, Faculty Member, North Negros Baptist Bible College.
10. THE STORM OF GALILEE – Rev. La Verne Mercado, General Secretary, NCCP, Manila.
"Hour of Discovery" Radio Ministry, which was first started in 1974 and ended in 1977. . Re-started in 19 78 and ended in 1981. Then re-started again in 1987 and closed in in 2006. God bless our radio ministry. Then, God helped us, open a new - a small printing and publishing ministry.
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