BAGUIO CITY – The National Nutrition Council (NNC) is now on the process of setting up two community radio stations in the different parts of the Cordillera to help boost the agency’s campaign on good nutrition and healthy lifestyle among the people in the remote communities.
Rita D. Papey, NNC-CAR regional nutrition program coordinator, said the beneficiaries of the 2 Nutri-Eskwela community radio stations are the municipality of Pasil in Kalinga and the Apayao State College (ASC) in Luna, Apayao.
At present, there are already two Nutri-Eskwela radio stations in the region which are managed by the municipal government of Lagawe in Ifugao and the Abra State Institute of Science and Technology (ASIST) in Lagangilang, Abra.
“Radio is still one of the fastest means of disseminating information to the grassroots level because it transcends boundaries. It is the most feasible and cheapest means of reaching out to remote communities in the different parts of the archipelago that is why we embarked on working out the establishment of community radio stations in strategic areas in the region,” Papey stressed.
Papey explained the NNC community radio stations are mandated to exclusively air programs on health and nutrition that will serve as the government’s information tool to reach out to the grassroots level, especially in empowering them to observe good nutrition and healthy lifestyle.
According to her, the community radio station in Pasil will be up for installation by the middle of this month while the radio station in Luna town will be installed by the end of the month and ready for operation anytime.
Papey disclosed personnel who will operate the community radio stations already underwent the appropriate trainings over the past several weeks while their hands on trainings on the existing facilities will be done simultaneous with their supposed operations within the next two months.
Under the guidelines for the operation of the Nutri-Eskwela community radio stations, 60 percent of the programs will be composed of nutrition and health-related events and activities while 40 percent will be devoted to other programs such as musical, news among others.
Papey cited the successful operation of the two earlier Nutri-Eskwela community radio stations in Lagawe and Lagangilang triggered various concerned agencies and local governments in the region to request for the put up of their own community radio stations to help in spreading out the needed information to the public for consideration and practice of god nutrition and healthy lifestyle.
Papey said the NNC will provide the facilities for the establishment of the community radio stations while the host agencies or local governments will provide the manpower and other operational requirements to sustain the operation of the different stations.
