Radio broadcasters from Oriental Mindoro and Agusan del Norte, Philippines were trained in producing programs focused on agricultural biotechnology last 11 November 2023 in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Philippines.

The training was organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through the Bridging and Upgrading Mechanisms and Pathways for the Uptake of Biotech (BUMP UP) Project, funded by the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR).

Participating radio stations include Radyo Natin Pinamalayan and DWXR Kalahi FM in Oriental Mindoro, and Magik FM and Radyo Serbato in Agusan del Norte.

The broadcasters were trained and mentored by faculty members and community broadcasters from the Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication (DDBT) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Development Communication (CDC) and Radyo DZLB Ang Tinig ng Kaunlaran (The Voice of Development).

Assistant Professor Ryan Jay Galang, a DZLB community broadcaster, discussed the need to communicate agricultural biotechnology. He also presented the current landscape on people’s perceptions about agribiotech. Assistant Professor Trina Leah Mendoza, DDBT department chair discussed science popularization techniques that broadcasters can use to laymanize agricultural biotechnology topics and to make them more understandable to people. Mr. Guien Eidrefson Garma, an instructor and DZLB news anchor, discussed potential segments and program formats suitable for discussing agribiotech.

The trained local broadcasters are expected to start their agricultural biotechnology radio programs in December 2023.

(This article was written by Guien Eidrefson Garma. Photo from SEARCA.)