"Cebu radio that once was"...

CEBU, Philippines - Here let me share with you a radio play in English entitled  “Tell Me Your Story”. Written, produced and directed by Greg M. Mercado of the Cebu Broadcasting Company. This play was serialized over radio station DYRC in the 1950s.

Music: Theme song. UP to UNDER to OUT.

Anncr: Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening. Once again, the CBC Playhouse proudly presents Greg M. Mercado’s Tell Me Your Story.

Music: Theme song. Sneak in to be sustained in background.

Anncr: Each person has a story to tell. Hidden within the inner self of every individual, there is a story that needs a telling. Perhaps a fragment of some human emotion long gone, untouched, and just waiting for the magic key to open the door through which remembrance may come out in a rush. Through the medium of radio, the CBC Playhouse offers its listeners of every circumstance and creed, an outlet through which he or she may tell that story. One doesn’t have to be a writer to do that, one doesn’t have to bother with form or style, just write your story in your own way, using your own words, and you will be surprised of how easily it all comes back to you. It may start with a half thought, or a fragment of remembered feelings, but if you let it mature into a mood, the rest will come out without effort. For remembrance, is not just a feat of mental activity, it is feelings that generates recollection a wisp of a song, the long lost echo of an emotion long gone. This can be the key to the whole world of the past. So, when you write down that story, write it down as feelings come to you, and do not be bothered with how it should be written. It will write itself. Then send it to Greg M. Mercado, the CBC Playhouse, Limbonfing Building, Borromeo Street, Cebu City.

Music: Theme song. UP to UNDER to OUT.

Anncr: Our story tonight was sent by someone who writes about his love of freedom.

It is just one of several English plays aired over the radio with such titles as “Drums in My Heart”; “No Place Like Home”; “Laura” with the voices of Simon “Moning” Almario, Lina Thompson, Norma Luansing, Ray Olis-Oliver, Jun Buenaventura, Rudy Gamboa, Bruno Rama, Henry Halasan, Dading Dabon, Greg Ayo (later an officer of the AFP), Rudy Ramos, Nonoy Villanueva, Danny Desierto (later an Ombudsman), Greg Mercado, Franklin Muriello and…Oh yes, Ginny Peralta-Vamenta. They could be heard as each episode unraveled over the air lanes. For back then, there was only radio.

I attended a meeting of Cebu United Radio Television Artist, Inc. (CURTA) held in the residence of the late Emil Rizada –along with Ginny Peralta-Vamenta and several others who perhaps know more about radio than me. A few faces were familiar and many I have not seen for decades. I saw Debbie Sta Cruz, daughter of Romy Sta Cruz; Ester Alferez, daughter of Dading Alferez; the couple Elma Vestil and Boy Patalinghug; Tony Rabanes and Emmy Navaja; Edgar Gutierrez, son of Nardo Gutierrez; and the writer/ director Jun Bacalso. All were in some way or another, directly or indirectly, involved with the “radio that once was”.

Cebu radio then is not what we have today. Turn on a radio now; and one has a choice of many AM and FM stations. But back then in the late 40s to late 50s there were only two commercial AM Stations DYRC and DYBU; and later one FM station DYMB. The radio stations were incorporated as the Cebu Broadcasting Company (CBC) under the corporate umbrellas of the Manila Broadcasting Company and the Elizalde Group of Companies. DYRC and DYBU studios were located at the 2nd floor of the LimBonFing Building corner Borromeo and Juan Luna Streets. DYMB studio was broadcasting in the transmitter building at Tangke, Talisay. Later in the early 60s a new building was constructed at Osmeña Boulevard to house the three studios. It can truly be said that the ones running CBC then were the forerunners of today’s radio in Cebu.

Henry Halasan and Romy Sta Cruz became the managers of ABS-CBN, Rudy Ramos was the first station manager of DYLA, and SD Tecson managed the then DYRE. And if anyone is looking for an icon of “the radio that once was,” look no farther than Ginny Peralta-Vamenta. Ma’am Ginny was there from the start with her distinctive soothing voice and impeccable English.

I remember listening to the jokes hurled adeptly among Ben Zubiri (Tatay Karpo), Amading Abad, Rudy Rubi, Dodong del Mar, Tinoy Quilantang, SD Tecson and Pepe Mercado. I can still hear the laughter as it reverberated within the studio walls. Even Angeles Diez could be the butt of a joke…nobody was spared…and the banter went on unabated.

Laling Cabiluna and SD Tecson were the radio newscasters in Cebuano and both were broadcast live by directly translating the national and local English newspapers into flawless Cebuano. A feat that will amaze the listeners if they only knew what they were doing and how they did it. Of course, the “Hala Toro” of Amading Abad was a must if one wanted to know current events in Cebu. The program was later the paradigm of “Lungsod, Bantay, Banat” hosted by Tony Avila, Rudy Ramos and Vic Canoy.

The laughter generated by the duo Tatay Karpo Zubiri and Inday Nita Daluz was a weekly Sunday happening in the Amateur Hour program. Contestants dreaded the single sorrowful “bling” of the bell struck by Nardo Gutierrez that signal the end of the contestant’s dream. In the daytime, before the program was aired, Mel Villareal as Musical Director could be seen writing the musical score at the music library headed by Dodong Sol. Guest performers varied like Josie Lauron, Amapola Cabase, Lumen Cabanes; the Torion Sisters and Josephine Ferrer (now with the widow of Jun Ocubillo) whose rendition of a “House is not a Home” was such a joy to hear. Within the studio compound, one could sit down and watch the rehearsals of Romy Sta Cruz who sat on a barstool with a guitar and sporting that sexy signature grin of his. His half-smile showed just a hint of slightly overlapping teeth as he belted the sweetly-sad “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” or hear Jess “Onting” Concepcion nostalgically singing Mel Torme’s composition of “The Christmas Story”.

Behind all this was the management. First it was Simon “Moning” Almario (The Voice) then after him for about a decade, the tall and handsome Roberto “Bob” Garcia who managed the day to day administration of the company. After his stint with CBC, Moning Almario joined Eagle Broadcasting in Manila. Bob Garcia also transferred to Manila to become a top executive of the Elizalde and Company, then became a Press Undersecretary during the Marcos Presidency. Alex Pepito was the accountant and Atty. Antonio Abad Tormis (later assassinated in 1961 as an anti-corruption crusading editor of the Republic News) was the legal advisor. Dr. Osmundo Rama (later elected Governor of Cebu) was the company physician. There was Annie Agudo, Bonita Suson and Lulu Villaroz who comprised the support group.

However, broadcasting was not possible without Joe Esplanada who headed the engineering, operation and maintenance. He was assisted by the likes of Dading Aliviado, Fred Sanchez and Emiliano Ruiz who operated the radio transmitter.

Back then, radio was considered as a guest-intruder in the family living room. As such, politeness was the rule and being rude was inappropriate. Therefore, vulgarity and offending words were avoided except of course during election time when the voices of Talyux Bacalso and Vic Abangan spouted diatribes over the airwaves in support of their respective candidates..

“Radio that once was”…was perhaps simpler with two turntables. Just turn a 45 or 33 rpm record for cueing with a microphone in front of you, and it was all yours. I could still see in my mind Fe Ruiz, Tito Espiritu, Boy Lumba, Boy Solomon, Crassus Iyoy, Clavel Asas (Martinez) and later Nash Alino in the announcer’s booth in a world all their own…happily broadcasting and obviously enjoying it all.

And that was how it was…DYRC, DYBU and DYMB the “radio that once was”. ?