VIMCONTU radio station in Cebu
On June 19, 1965 months before the presidential elections, Congress enacted Republic Act 4198 entitled "An Act Granting Visayas-Mindanao Confederation of Trade Unions a Franchise to install, maintain and operate a radio broadcasting station in the City of Cebu."
The law granted a franchise to the VIMCONTU to continue for a period of twenty five years from the date the radio station shall be put in operation, and it is granted upon the express condition that the same shall be void unless construction of said station be begun within six months from the date of approval of Republic Act 4198 and completed within two years from said date.
The franchise also mandates that the radio station shall contribute to the public welfare, assist in the functions of public information and education, conform to the ethics of honest enterprise, and not use its station for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, or to the detriment of public health, or to incite, encourage or assist in subversive or treasonable acts.
The VIMCONTU's radio broadcasting shall not be put in actual operation until the Secretary of Public Works and Communications shall have allotted to VIMCONTU the frequency and wave length to be used under this franchise and issued to the grantee a license for such use (today the frequency of the station is 909 khz with the call sign DYLA).
Its actual operation was on September 27, 1967 or two years after the granting of this franchise. This time the country's president was Ferdinand E. Marcos who defeated Diosdado Macapagal, who was the one who signed into law the bill granting VIMCONTU's franchise.
The election was held on November 9, 1965, with Senator Marcos of the Nacionalista Party defeating incumbent President Macapagal of the Liberal Party. The Vice Presidential tandem of Marcos, Fernando Lopez defeated Gerardo Roxas of the Liberal Party.
Among the many personalities who managed the radio station was Cerge Mamites Remonde (born on December 21, 1958). Who later became national chairman of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, and was the first KBP chairman to be elected to a 6th term.
Cerge Remonde in 2001 joined government service as Press Undersecretary in charge of broadcast and the executive director of the Radio Television Malacanang Presidential Broadcast Staff. He also became president of IBC Channel 13 and RPN Channel 9. He was appointed by President Gloria Arroyo as director general of the Presidential Management Staff and on February 1, 2009 as Press Secretary.
He died on January 19, 2010 in Makati City. He was buried on January 24, 2010 at Argao Catholic Cemetery, Argao, Cebu. A street in Argao, Cebu is named after him.
Presently, the station is managed by Zosimo "Jun" P. Tagalog and former KBP Cebu chairman. Tagalog is an alumnus of the University of San Jose Recoletos (Bachelor of Arts Major in Mass Communication). Its news director is Jhunnex Zamoras Gabica Napallacan. Leo Lastimosa, a tri media personality (anchors ABS-CBN TV Patrol Visayas, anchors DYAB, and writes for the The Freeman and Banat) also used to work with DYLA as news reporter then as news director. Lastimosa also studied at the University of San Jose Recoletos.
Those who served the VIMCONTU's Broadcasting Corporation as presidents were Atty. Democrito T. Mendoza (admitted to the Bar on April 14, 1953, Founder of Associated Labor Union and World War II Hero and Veteran, he led the guerillas of Liloan in several battles against the Japanese Imperial Army. His son, Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza also became a lawyer on May 11, 1999) and Atty. Cecilio T. Seno also of Liloan and co-founded ALU (admitted to the bar on January 25, 1952). Mendoza, Seno together with Pablo Garcia were appointed as members of the constitutional commission created during Arroyo's administration in 2005.
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