Barangay LS DJs share life lessons to fresh grads

Next to Christmas, summer is the most-awaited season of the year, especially for students who will get to have a month or two of respite from school. While for those graduating from college, it also signifies the season of triumph for surviving four (or usually more) years of tertiary education as well as beginning of a new chapter, establishing their own career and facing the real world.

Some disc jockeys (DJs) of Barangay LS 97.1, GMA’s flagship FM radio station, shared bits of their stories on how their educational background and experiences helped them realize their passion for radio. Papa Bol (Benjur Evangelista) is the latest addition to the Barangay DJs and is also the new host of the primetime on-air dating program Wanted Sweetheart. Ate Liza (Eliza de la Fuente) has been a DJ for 14 years and hosts Three Play Sayawan and Saturday Top 3. Papa Kiko (Erwin David), who has been in the industry for nine years, is the host of Talk to Papa, which airs weekdays at 12 noon. Papa Obet (Earl John Mendoza Ablao) hosts Three Play, Mondays to Fridays at 3 p.m. and has been a radio man for almost 10 years. Lastly, Papa Marky (Mark London Guiling) has been hosting Talk Back for over two years now. 

Was your course in college related to your job now? What was your first job?

Papa Bol: My course was way off. My very first job was at a waffle store in Iloilo.

Ate Liza: Yes, very much so. I took up BA Broadcast Communication at the University of the Philippines Diliman and we had several radio subjects. Being a DJ in LS was my first job ever.

Papa Kiko: Yes, I took up AB Communication in college, though radio wasn’t my first real job at all. I used to be a fast-food crew while schooling and taught theater performance in different schools, before having a chance to be on commercial radio.

Papa Obet: Yes, I took up AB Communication at the Asia Pacific College in Bataan. My first job was being a radio DJ and an IT technician.

Papa Marky: Bachelor of Arts Major in Mass Communication. I have been a Radio DJ since I was in college.

How did you become a radio DJ?

Papa Bol: A close friend of mine referred me. I gave it a try, and the rest was history.

Ate Liza: My college classmate was on her way to an audition for student DJs at 97.1 Barangay LS which was Campus Radio back then. Me and a few friends decided to tag along and thought of it as a little fun field trip. I was the only one who got in and was eventually hired as a regular DJ.

Papa Kiko: I started back in college via a school-based radio station heard all over the campus. One of the station managers from a local station heard my broadcast, and invited me to audition for their radio station. Eventually, I won the DJ search and I never left the industry since then.

Papa Obet: As much as I would want to become a DJ back then, it seemed impossible for me because there was no radio station in our place that time. It was really my dream to become a DJ ever since I was in high school. I always carried a cassette player and a blank tape with me which became my pastime while waiting for my next class.

After my high school graduation in 2002, I heard that there’s a newly-opened radio station in our area so I tried to get in. However, I had no one to back me up then. One day, I was invited to sing for the station’s launch so I grabbed the opportunity to talk to the managers because I really wanted to become a DJ. The manager agreed to hire me in exchange for becoming an escort to his daughter in the Santacruzan.

Papa Marky: I have always loved listening to the radio and I really wanted to become a DJ. I challenged myself and saw to it that I know how to talk with sense, to entertain and to joke with people. I genuinely love music. I auditioned to become a campus DJ when I was in college. But I didn’t make the final cut because I was going to transfer to another school. Then I applied at a local radio station in Batangas and that was where I started my career as a radio DJ.

How was your experience during your first broadcast?

Papa Bol: It was scary. I became conscious of what might the listeners think about me. But generally, it was so much fun.

Ate Liza: I was very nervous. I spoke too fast. Good thing my sister and classmates were there to support me.

Papa Kiko: Nerves… floating… happiness, it’s like getting the golden ticket on Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. #Passion. #Dreamcametrue.

Papa Obet: I felt nervous and I was running out of words and really didn’t know what to do technically.

Papa Marky: Wow! When I stepped into a radio studio for the first time, I told myself, this is it. No turning back, all you have to do is do your job and talk. It was one of the most frightening moments of my life. My heart kept on pounding as if it wanted to burst out. But as I started to talk, it easily became the most fulfilling experience of my life.

When did you realize that this career is actually for you?

Papa Bol: It was when I was still in GenSan, right after I was informed I would be hosting the local version of the program. 

Ate Liza: When I got hired as a regular DJ, I started to think that maybe I could be good at this.

Papa Kiko: I’ve been a fan of radio, interviews and music since I was a kid. So, I know it’s for me from day zero.

Papa Obet: Ever since I was a kid, I really wanted to be a reporter, DJ or anything that involves radio and TV, so when this opportunity came, I was very thankful.

Papa Marky: I’ve been in this business for a long time. Why? One reason is because of passion. Passion is everything. If you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you will be successful. Second is your personality. You can’t learn or even teach that. No one really cares what you sound like, as long as what you say is relevant and that you are personable. Because of that, your listeners will sense it and eventually they will embrace you with open arms and a big smile. That’s the time that I realized that radio is for me, I love the feeling that someone listens to whatever you are talking about, that you really matter.

What is your message to the fresh graduates who would want to pursue a career in FM radio?

Papa Bol: Just do it! Napakaganda ng field na ‘to. At kung gusto mo man, just go with the flow and don’t let anyone let you down.

Ate Liza: Don’t be afraid to seize possible opportunities. You can never tell if something’s for you until you try and grab it.

Papa Kiko: Just do it! Love (for broadcasting) will keep you alive.

Papa Obet: Be passionate, respectful and love what you’re doing.

Papa Marky: I learned a lot of things about life after being in the radio industry for almost 10 years. Working as a professional radio DJ requires more than just an ability to introduce songs and press a few buttons and slides. Anyone who likes to talk with sense, to entertain and joke with people and genuinely loves music would make a good radio DJ. I love making people’s days better and if you can be a positive or an uplifting force for them, believe me, you’ll be successful. Your listeners will love you as if you are part of the family. Any kind of extreme person would also be good in radio. But if you are a boring person with no opinion, it will be hard for you to pursue a career in radio.

These DJs, despite having gone through different experiences and challenges, discovered their passion for their chosen career by simply stepping out of their comfort zones. For them, it is also important to focus on what they truly want and to work hard to achieve it.

 To get to know more of Papa Bol, Ate Liza, Papa Kiko, Papa Obet and Papa Marky, tune in to Barangay LS 97.1 Tugstugan Na!