An overload of three popular radio jocks

MANILA, Philippines - For thousands of radio listeners, a day will not be complete without hearing familiar voices every morning to set things on the right track.

Chico Garcia, Delamar Arias and Gino Quillamor make up the terrific trio behind the everyday-trending, extremely popular RX93.1’s The Morning Rush. They are the ever dependable friends of countless households in Greater Metro Manila. Their candid banter offers a different kind of high that sends listeners in stitches from the moment they get out of bed until they drive themselves to work.

“Our listeners actually consider us as part of lives because we’re with them everyday. We’re no strangers to them,” says Chico. “That’s why when some of them see us in person, they talk to us like long-lost friends.”

Yet, the task to make people laugh through the play and power of spoken words is not as easy as most people think. The common notion that being a radio jock is one of the easiest jobs one can possibly have is a myth. The Kikay Barkada agrees that it’s difficult enough to wake up early in the morning and be on the road at the break of dawn. What goes on during their program is a juggling act that requires a skillful balance of technical aptitude and a gift for gab. As Gino puts it, “A four-hour shift is a mental workout. You’re always on the look out to make even mundane conversations stand out.”

Delamar adds that the quick exchange of ideas and jokes is paired with adeptness in taking care of the business aspect of being a DJ, which includes cuing commercials, taking phone calls from listeners, running promos, and responding to tweets, among others. “And you have to make it sound like as if you’re not doing anything!” she adds.

Though the show has been broadcasting for more than a decade when Chico and Delamar started an engaging trend on FM radio, they still get the same rush each morning as the first day they went on air. The recent addition of Gino as the third member of the group just made the program more dynamic and packed with out-of-this-world wackiness that would make the listener catch himself laughing at their jokes.

“The unpredictability of the show gives me rush,” Delamar reveals. “You don’t know what’s going to happen each day and this spontaneity just gives you a high.”

As for Gino, the mere thought of being able to make people laugh through the show is enough to keep him up and about. “Knowing there are people who are eager to hear you and want you to cheer them up will really motivate you to ‘perform’ even if you feel tired,” he says.

Notwithstanding what goes on behind each episode of The Morning Rush, the most rewarding part of the job is the unique connection they make with their avid listeners which, according to Chico and Delamar, is also one of the secrets of their staying power in the industry.

“I can never over-stress the importance of the fun factor in a radio show. Life is hard and people want to have fun. They gravitate towards things or people that make them feel good,” Delamar shares.

“You have to be a barkada to your listeners,” Chico enthuses. “That way they can relate to you and stick with you the way barkadas stick to each other.”

That same barkada spirit translates even to their choice of fun food. Their love for pizza is undeniable, especially with the overflowing goodness of Greenwich Overloaded pizza.

“I never outgrew my love for pizza. It’s a comfort food that you can easily share with your barkada. And what I like about Greenwich is it’s overloaded,” Chico declares. “I’m the type who likes the fullness of everything.”

For online gamer Gino, he loves the fact that pizza allows him to enjoy a sumptuous bite while putting on his A-game.

Delamar, a self-confessed cheese lover, can’t get enough of Greenwich’s 7-Cheese pizza. “You can never go wrong with the Greenwich 7-Cheese Overload pizza.”

Chico, Delamar and Gino are obviously overloaded with innate talent that propelled them high up in the local airwaves. Whether firing witty assaults at or complementing each other (the latter rarely happens according to the Kikay Barkada), they remain committed to sharing fun and laughter to their growing listeners.

As for their advice to would-be DJs who wish to follow their footsteps, they say: “Just be yourself. The more you try to be someone else, the less interesting you become. People can hear it in your voice. Be yourself – that’s what you’ll lean on for the rest of your career.”