Radyo Pilipinas returns to service

 

The first broadcast on the First Day of New Service from the Philippines - Radyo Pilipinas is now available for viewing at the  Shortwave Central YouTube channel. Thank you for your likes, thumbs up, and for subscribing. to the channel.

Video available at:     https://youtu.be/ZyCzhmsZCxo

Radyo Pilipinas World Service set to return December 1, 2025

 

Vintage QSL from Gayle Van Horn Collection

Philippines

RP world service returns: Filipinos abroad to share their stories

By Marita Moaje

November 20, 2025, 6:49 pm Updated on November 21, 2025, 6:07 

MANILA – Radyo Pilipinas World Service (RPWS), the Philippine government’s international radio platform, is relaunching its shortwave broadcasts, marking a major step in reconnecting with Filipinos across the globe.

The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), in a memorandum dated Nov. 20, formally approved the reinstatement of RPWS’s shortwave operations.

The authorized start date for resumption is December 1, 2025,” it added.

Additional story at: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1263669

FEBC-Radio Liangyou 1 & 3 videos

 Two new #RARE DX stations have been added to the Shortwave Central YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShortwaveCentral

The channel is expanding, so don't forget to subscribe. Thank you for the kind comments to w4gvhla@gmail 

Stay tuned ...for more videos in the future !!

                                                  https://youtu.be/tBbvuqwgs_I

                                               https://youtu.be/YfNhq4yve4o

Radio Pilipinas monitoring update

 

Rumen Pankov reported (16 Feb) that he had heard Radio Pilipinas at 1730-2030 UTC over the previous three days on 9925, 12120 and 15190 kHz via Tinang in Tagalog (Filipino) / English.

So with an extra hour 1930-2030 to previously scheduled.

I tuned in yesterday (26 Feb) and, yes, the 1730 broadcast is still on air until 2030 UTC. Very good reception on 12120 kHz and 15190 kHz, especially at first (9925 kHz much weaker here).

They still announced just 1730-1930, together with the frequencies, at sign on though. Aanyone noticed if their 0200-0330 transmission has also been lengthened?

73 Alan

(Alan Pennington/BDXC)

Monitoring FEBC Philippines

 

FEBC International as FEBC Philippines Pasig City in Chinese, celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

The station began broadcasting on July 29,1949. Programs for Christians in China were broadcast, as they are today, on SW via Bocaue and Iba relays from the Philippines.

Radio Liangyou also broadcasts on medium waves through a transmitter on the South Korean island of Jeju.

The schedule for today is as follows

1000-1400 UTC  9400 kHz (via Philippines 100 kW)

1000-1600 UTC  9275 kHz (via Philippines 100 kW)

1100-1230 UTC  1566 kHz (via Jeju-KOR    250 kW)

1300-1330 UTC 12120 kHz (via Philippines 100 kW)

1345-1630 UTC  1566 kHz (via Jeju-KOR    250 kW)

1400-1600 UTC  9345 kHz (via Philippines 100 kW)

1430-1500 UTC  9940 kHz (via Philippines 100 kW)

2230-0030 UTC  9405 kHz (via Philippines 100 kW)

2300-0100 UTC 12070 kHz (via Philippines 100 kW)

Radio Liangyou confirms reception reports with electronic and paper QSL cards. Form for filling out reports:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=

vbiADkDihkq4u21zWkWXEbe1zKhODUFGsStMQ8cNURVUQ1E3MzdLU

VJYTTNBTFJQWktBVjhXUktGUC4u

For its 75th anniversary, the station has updated its website and also in-

vites its listeners to download the 2024 calendar:

<https://729ly.net/zh-sc/news-activity/news-theme2024/news-theme2024-

calendar>

<https://vk.com/radioko>

For complete transmission schedule see FEBC International under USA

in new WRTH 2024 handbook on pages #573-574.

(via Anatoly Klepov-RUS, RUSdx #1272 via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews Jan 14)

(BC-DX 1568/21 Jan WWDXC Top News)

PBS in the Philippines on Shortwave

 

During its more than three-quarters of a century of on-air shortwave service, PBS, the Philippine Broadcasting Service has always been quite tenuous, even at its very best.  Radio Philippinas, the shortwave service of the Voice of the Philippines, has at times been dependent upon borrowed facilities and donated equipment, sometimes quite old, and sometimes no longer reliable.

On September 4, 1947, the United States government signed a document on behalf of the Voice of America for a new and somewhat temporary relay station at Malolos, some thirty miles north of the national capital Manila.  VOA  took out a lease for five buildings at the Bulacan Trade School, mainly imported Quonset Huts, and a total of five transmitters were installed; two @ 50 kW mediumwave, and three shortwaves for international coverage.  At one stage VOA operated a Manila address at 964 Taft Avenue.

The three shortwave transmitters at Malolos were two RCA units, Model number M1733OA, at 50 kW each with dual channel operation.  The RCA serial numbers were No 524 & 527, and there was another RCA 7½ kW Model ETA MI725, No 4654.  A total of ten rhombic antennas were installed, and programming was beamed to China in Chinese and English.

When in use with the relay of VOA programming, the shortwave transmitters were identified in VOA scheduling as Manila 1, Manila 2, and Manila 3.  When they were on air with PBS programming, they were identified on-air as PBS Malolos.  

A set of temporary co-ordinating studios for PBS was installed in an already available public building in Manila, on the fourth floor of the Ramon Roces Building.  Occasional additional programming was prepared in the United States by United Nations Radio in New York.

In the era immediately following the end of World War 2, the shortwave scene in the Philippines was so convoluted and mixed up, with so many stations relaying the programming from other stations, and utilizing a strange mixture of various designated callsigns, that it is almost impossible to trace who was who back at that time.  (However, in fairness to the postwar Far East Broadcasting Company in Manila, it should be stated that they generally operated their network of mediumwave and shortwave stations in conformity with their registered callsigns.)

When conditions began to return to somewhat normal during the latter part of the 1940s and into the 1950s, the registered callsigns for PBS shortwave were listed in the DUH series.  Consecutive callsigns identified consecutive shortwave frequencies, as DUH2 on 6170 kHz, DUH3 on 9570 kHz, DUH4 on 9615 kHz, and DUH5 on 11840.  These four DUH callsigns identified the usage of shortwave channels as was the custom back then, not the usage of the specific shortwave transmitters.  

The change for the initial prefix for radio station callsigns in the Philippines from the K prefix to the D prefix occurred unexpectedly and without prior announcement on January 1, 1949.  This sudden move caught the international radio world as an unexpected surprise.

In 1954, the powerful new Voice of America relay station at Poro Point, some 150 miles north of the national capital Manila was taken into service, on both mediumwave and shortwave.  At this stage, the VOA usage of the six-year-old Malolos station, Manila VOA, was retained with its regular scheduling of VOA programming.  In addition, PBS programming on shortwave continued from Malolos according to their prior scheduling.      

However, a huge new VOA shortwave relay station was taken into regular service at Tinang, some 50 miles north of Manila in 1968, with ultimately a dozen huge transmitters at 250 kW each.  In addition, a total of 31 curtain antennas were installed.  At that stage, the VOA usage of the now twenty-year-old somewhat temporary station at Malolos was discarded, and whatever was left of its serviceable equipment was donated to PBS. 

In 1967 for example, PBS was listed with two hours of daily programming on callsign DUB4 with 5 kW on 3286 kHz.  During the next year (1968), PBS shortwave was shown with callsign DUB4 now on 3156 kHz together with callsign DUH2 on 6170 kHz, maybe with 50 kW or whatever was available.  Two years later again (1970), after VOA Tinang was activated, PBS was shown with 7½ kW on 9580 kHz, and maybe with 50 kW on 11950 kHz. 

These days (2022), Radio Pilipinas PBS is listed with a nationwide network of two dozen or more mediumwave and FM relay stations.  Their programming on shortwave is provided by VOA at their huge relay station at Tinang.

The current scheduling for PBS shortwave via Tinang is as follows:-

Filipino Service

17:30 - 19:30 local, 01:30 - 03:30 UTC

9.960 MHz, 12.120 MHz, 15.190 MHz

Japan, Russia, China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Northern Africa

English Service

02:00 - 03:30 local, 10:00 - 11:30 UTC

12.010 MHz, 15.640 MHz, 17.820 MHz

Radyo Pilipina's programs can also be heard via live audio streaming in the internet from 11:30 pm to 12:00 noon of the next day PST.

PBS Manila on shortwave issued many QSL cards, though at times somewhat spasmodically.  Their QSL was generally an oversized card, with handwritten details confirming the reception of their programming.

(AWR-Wavescan (NWS 700)

Voice of America adds new program, Rohingya Lifeline

 

According to a report from BDXC February DX News-Short Wave column, Voice of America has begun a new program on shortwave. The new Rohingya language program entitled Rohingya Lifeline, is broadcast to address the informational needs of Muslim refugees, who have fled to Myanmar, and now are living in refugee camps in nearby Bangladesh.

The new program is Monday-Friday at 1130-1200 UTC on 12030 via Philippines relay, and two frequencies relayed from Thailand on 12125 and 15715 kHz. 

(Teak Publishing)

Radio Pilipinas heard again on shortwave

Radyo Pilipinas QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection)

You may have noticed in the Global Radio Guide (Summer 2020), that Radio Pilipinas was missing from the by-hour schedules. Just prior to last weeks publication, I received information that the station had left shortwave, and the entry was deleted from the database.

This morning, DX Bulgaria posted the following schedule, from May 1, and the station is being heard again. My apologies for any confusion.

Philippines
Radio Pilipinas
Effective: 01 May 2020

All times UTC

0200-0330 on 12010 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to N&ME English
0200-0330 on 15640 PHT 250 kW / 270 deg to N&ME English
0200-0330 on 17820 PHT 250 kW / 315 deg to N&ME English

1730-1930 on  9960 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to N&ME Filipino
1730-1930 on 12120 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to N&ME Filipino
1730-1930 on 15190 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to N&ME Filipino
(DXB 05 May 2020)

Gone and Forgotten: Shortwave Radio SEARV

In our program last week we presented the story of the early low power shortwave stations (and their parallel mediumwave unit) that were installed in Silliman University on the southeast edge of Negros Island in the Philippines back soon after the end of the Pacific War in the middle of last century.  In our program today, we turn to the story of Gone and Forgotten - 2: The Story of Shortwave Radio SEARV at the same university location in the Philippines.

During the early 1960s, three radio transmitters were constructed in an unnamed garage in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the United States; two mediumwave at 10 kW and one shortwave at 50 kW.  We would suggest that these three transmitters, including the 50 kW shortwave unit, were all constructed by Mission Engineering which it is known was located at Hiawatha, a suburb of Cedar Rapids in Iowa.  (Mission Engineering is these days identified as CEC, Communications Engineering Company, still located at Hiawatha in suburban Cedar Rapids.)

All three transmitters were built under contract and they were destined for installation overseas, in Asia.  It is not known these days which country received the two mediumwave transmitters. 
However, the shortwave transmitter was intended for installation in the Philippines at Silliman University in Dumaguete, for SEARV, the South East Radio Voice.  In April 1964, a special ceremony was conducted at the dockside in San Francisco regarding the 50 kW transmitter that was ready for shipment to Asia.

Then more than a year later (July 1965), the noted Arthur Cushen in Invercargill, South New Zealand reported in the Australian monthly magazine, Radio and Hobbies, that the transmitter had been received at Dumaguete in the southern Philippines.  However as he stated, the station engineers at the time were uncertain as to what type of antenna system should be employed, though they preferred curtain rather than the proposed rhombic.
The new higher powered shortwave station was planned as an extension of the lower powered DYH4 which was already on the air with a ¼ kW on 6055 kHz.  For the new 50 kW shortwave transmitter, a total of five frequencies were approved with five new callsigns in the consecutive DYH series running from DYH5 - DYH9.

The WR(TV)HB for 1965 stated that test broadcasts from a 75 kW or 100 kW transmitter were scheduled to begin in early 1965.  The 1966 edition of the same WR(TV)HB stated that test broadcasts would be scheduled some time during that year.  The 1967 edition listed the transmitter power as 50 kW.

Finally, for the first time, test broadcasts from the new SEARV were on the air and they were beamed towards Thailand and Burma.  This new station on the shortwave bands was noted in New Zealand on 15420 kHz in March 1968.  Interestingly though, a different  set of four callsigns were introduced, and these were in the DZU series, running from DZU5 to DZU8.

Later in that same year September 1968, Polish language programming was heard in Europe  from SEARV on the very low frequency 4980 kHz, though Arthur Cushen in New Zealand stated that he heard them still on their regular 15420 kHz channel.  Two years later again, he stated that SEARV was on the air spasmodically with test broadcasts, and that they were playing classical music with test announcements in English every quarter hour.

Programming was beamed towards India, Pakistan, China, and the countries of southeast Asia, and additional channels noted on air were: 9750 9770 11910 15145 and 17860 kHz.  The callsign shown for 9770 kHz for example was DZU6.

Unfortunately, Radio SEARV shortwave struck the same problems as did Radio Veritas Asia; a shortage of funding, a shortage of trained personnel, and insufficient programming from too few regional studios.  Thus it was that the 1976 edition of the WR(TV)HB stated that the station was silent, and the equipment was for sale.

However, by the time that this annual 1976 international radio directory was published, the station was already closed and the transmitter was already under installation at the afore mentioned Radio Veritas Asia on the edge of Malolos, north of Manila.  In fact, this 50 kW American made imported transmitter was first activated at its new location in May 1975.  Due to technical problems with the two German made 100 kW transmitters at Radio Veritas Asia, the 50 kW SEARV transmitter from Dumaguete was the only unit on the air at RVA Malolos for the next couple of years.

During its some eight years of on air activity, Radio SEARV shortwave was a very reliable verifier of listener reception reports.  Only one card was ever printed and this identified SEARV in large red letters across the middle of the card.  All were posted from a box address in the capital city Manila, not from the station location itself at Dumaguete in the southern Philippines.

On Sunday and Monday February 23 and 24, 1986, insurgents burst into the RVA transmitter base near Malolos and deliberately destroyed all five transmitters in the building, including the more recently installed 50 kW shortwave unit.  The 22 year old SEARV/RVA 50 kW transmitter was thus destroyed, and along with all of the remnants of the other damaged equipment, we would presume, were sold for metal scrap.
(AWR/NWS 491)

A nostalgic look at Radio Veritas Asia

According to the best available information, the shortwave station Radio Veritas Asia made its final broadcast just yesterday Saturday June 30, and the transmitter now lies silent in an isolated and lonely Philippine countryside.  In our program here in Wavescan last week, we presented the story of Radio Veritas on mediumwave, and this week we present the story of Radio Veritas Asia on shortwave.    

As with the mediumw ave story of Radio Veritas last week, so with the shortwave story of Radio Veritas Asia this week; we go back to the beginning, which was just after the end of the tragic Pacific War in the middle of last century.  Back during that era, most of the radio stations that began to appear on the radio dial in the Philippines were a dual operation, on both mediumwave and shortwave.  The mediumwave transmitter gave mostly reliable local coverage, and the shortwave transmitter served a double purpose; to provide fill in coverage for mediumwave shadow spots, and also for national coverage.

Shortwave station KZOK was inaugurated in Manila at the end of July 1947 with just 250 watts on 9690 kHz.  The transmitter was built by Technical Radio in San Francisco California, and the antenna system was a dipole antenna, oriented north and south for nationwide coverage.  Even at such low power, the shortwave station was heard over in England in islandic Europe, as well as you might expect down under in Australia and New Zealand in the South Pacific.  

During that initial era, the station was owned by PBC the Philippine Broadcasting Corporation and the programming was produced in their temporary studios on the 5th and 6th floors of the Pilipinas Building at Plaza Moraga in Manila.  The two transmitters, mediumwave and shortwave, were both located in Quezon City.  Mediumwave and shortwave KZOK was a sister station to the better known KZPI, and their QSL card showed the callsign KZOK in large red letters across the center of the card. 

On January 1, 1949, the Philippines implemented a new callsign sequence for radio stations throughout their island archipelago, in line with the then recently promulgated international radio regulations.  In addition, these two PBC stations were granted a change in their own callsigns, and thus mediumwave station KZOK became DZAB, and shortwave KZOK became DZH5.  Back then, the generic callsign DZH indicated a shortwave broadcasting station in the Manila area, and the number identified a specific shortwave station; in this case DZH5 identified the shortwave station associated with mediumwave DZAB. 

Two years later during the year 1951, station DZAB-DZH5 was taken over by the Catholic operated Santo Tomas University, and it was installed in the university’s Main Building.  At this stage, a new mediumwave callsign was granted, DZST, with the ST standing for the initials of the university, Santo Tomas.  They also issued a QSL card to verify listener reception reports.

However, on December 10, 1958, a high level committee that was meeting at the university gave approval for establishing a high powered mediumwave and shortwave station that would provide better coverage throughout the Philippines, and also for international coverage into the highly populated countries of Asia.  Soon afterwards, land was procured in a rice field on the edge of MacArthur Highway, at Barangay-Dakila on the southern edge of the large regional city, Malolos, some 20 miles northwest of Manila.

Two 100 kW Siemens transmitters were procured from Germany, and test broadcasts began from the first unit on 21675 kHz on November 10, 1967.  This new radio station near Malolos was granted a new sequence in callsigns, and mediumwave DZST became DZVR, with the VR of course indicating Veritas Radio.  The two shortwave transmitters were identified as DZN7 and DZN8.  The second transmitter was taken into service during the following year 1968.  

A new suite of studios was installed in the Catholic Center on United Nations Avenue in Manila, and programming was microwaved to Malolos in a special set of eleven channels, six broadcast and five telephone. 

However, the new Radio Veritas Asia was beset with problematic circumstances that took many years to resolve.  The two German made transmitters malfunctioned, experienced staffing was not available, studio production in the various languages of Asia was not well established, and lack of adequate funding was always a problem. 

For the next six years, from 1967 into 1973, Radio Veritas Asia was on the air with mainly just test broadcasts, made up of usually classical music and test announcements in English.  Interestingly back then, Vatican Radio was interested in the development of Radio Veritas Asia, and they also asked for reception reports of Veritas, with the intent of possibly using the Philippine station as a part time relay for Vatican programming.  

Ultimately in August 1973, Radio Veritas Asia went silent, while awaiting parts from Germany, and also while awaiting the modification and upgrading of the two 100 kW transmitters.  However during this interim period, Radio Veritas took over the 50 kW Gates shortwave transmitter from Radio SEARV, which had recently gone silent at Dumaguete in the southern Philippines through lack of funding.

Radio Veritas Asia was re-opened in May 1975, and the first test broadcasts from the newly installed 50 kW were noted in New Zealand and Australia on 9570 kHz and 11710 kHz.  Again, the test broadcasts consisted of music, and announcements in English.

Finally, the two 100 kW Siemens transmitters were re-activated, and they were taken into service in mid 1977.  Over a period of time, the test broadcasts were phased into regular programming in more than a dozen languages.  By this time, they were utilizing six antennas with various configurations, including log periodic, rhombic and cage.

     

All went well for the next ten years, until violent political disturbances swept across the entire nation.  Then, on Sunday and Monday February 23 and 24, 1986, insurgents stormed into the transmitter station at Malolos and badly damaged all of the transmitters, three shortwave and two medium wave, and also some of the antenna systems, though fortunately no personnel were harmed. 

As a result, a brand new transmitter station was quickly constructed at a new location, with funding from Catholics in Germany, as well as from the German government itself.  The new shortwave station was constructed near Palauig, almost at the northern tip of a jungle covered small tidal peninsula known as Luan Island.  This Luan Island/tidal peninsula occupies just .1 of a square mile, and it is located 100 air miles northwest from Manila, and 70 miles from its previous location at Malolos. 

Over a period of time, three large 250 kW shortwave transmitters were installed at the new Palauig site, each of which was a variation of the Swiss made Model SK53C3.  The first was inaugurated in 1986; the second in 1988; and the third in 1992.  Eighteen years after it was taken into service, the very first transmitter was dismantled, leaving just the two slightly younger transmitters to carry the full load of programming.

Throughout its more than half a century of on air service, this well known shortwave radio facility with its many consecutive callsigns, has always been a reliable verifier of listener reception reports.  In its latter years, these cards pictured Philippine regional scenes in full color.

Last Saturday (June 30, 2018), shortwave Radio Veritas Asia was closed.  So, what is left now of shortwave Radio Veritas Asia?  

It is stated that the elaborate studio building in Quezon City will remain in service, preparing programming in Chinese Mandarin for distribution over the internet, and Filipinas programming for distribution over a smart phone. 

The original transmitter building on the edge of Malolos was abandoned seven years ago, though efforts are underway to restore it as a historic museum piece. 

The shortwave facility of Radio Veritas Asia on Luan Island near Palauig lies silent, and somewhat abandoned.  What will happen to it next?  Well, we don’t know, but perhaps the future will provide another interesting chapter in this fascinating radio saga in the Philippine Islands

(AWR-Wavescan/NWS 488)

The Last Days of Radio Veritas Asia

Radio Veritas Asia QSL (Gayle Van Horn Collection)

As reported in the radio hobby press, Radio Veritas' last broadcast day will be Saturday, 30 June 2018. The Catholic station has been on the air since 11 August 1969, and is owned by the Philippine Radio Education and Information Center, composed of professionals, and Filipino bishops. 

Broadcast daily, except Teddmichin and Zomichin services as indicated

All times UTC

11880 1400-1427 Bengali
15450 1130-1157 Burmese
11870 1330-1357 Chin
11945 1000-1130 Chinese
6115 2100-2228 Chinese
11675 1500-1553 Filipino
15355 2300-2327 Filipino
11870 1400-1427 Hindi
11935 1200-1227 Hmong
9645 0000-0027 Kachin
15225 1230-1257 Kachin
11760 1200-1230 Karen
11850 1000-1030 Khmer

15255 0130-0157 Mon,Tues,Wed  Teddmichin

11870 1430-1500 Telugu
15280 0100-0127 Urdu
9610 1430-1457 Urdu
15530 0130-0227 Vietnamese
11850 1300-1357 Vietnamese
9670 2330-2357 Vietnamese

15255 0130-0157 Sun, Thurs, Fri, Sat Zomichin


for QSL query write to:

Radio Veritas Asia
Buick Street
Fairview Park
Quezon City
Metro Mania 1106
Philippines

Website: http://www.veritas-asia.org

The History of Radio Veritas Asia

According to the best available information, shortwave Radio Veritas Asia in the Philippines is closing at the end of this month, Saturday June 30.  Just in case this information proves to be correct, we would recommend that you tune in to shortwave Radio Veritas Asia some time during this new week, and that you send to them a final reception report.  Their QSL card would then become a permanent reminder to you of another important and well known shortwave station that now lies silent.

In this our DX program Wavescan, we plan to tell the story of Radio Veritas in two episodes.  This week we plan to focus on the interesting story of their mediumwave facilities, and next week we plan to focus on the equally interesting story of their shortwave facilities.

Let’s go back now to the very beginning, the era immediately after the end of the tragic Pacific War.  The Battle of Manila, between the Japanese occupation forces and the incoming American forces, began on February 3, 1945 and it lasted for exactly one month, to the very day. 

During that time, the fighting was so intense that almost every major building in Manila was either destroyed or seriously damaged, and the death toll for American service personnel, Japanese service personnel, and Filipino citizens was counted by the thousands.  The city was finally successfully claimed by the American army on March 3 (1945). 
 

Soon afterwards, Manila experienced a rapid redevelopment and rebuilding program for a city that had been massively damaged and destroyed in both 1942 and again in 1945.  In the middle of the following year, the Philippines were granted independence from the United States, on July 4, 1946. 

In the midst of all of these rapidly changing events, movements were under way for the restoration of the radio scene in the Philippine Islands.  Old radio broadcasting stations were re-established and new stations were installed; old callsigns were revived and new callsigns began to make a sudden appearance. 

One of the very first new stations in Manila to suddenly make an appearance on the mediumwave dial of the radio receiver was inaugurated on May 15, 1947 under a new callsign KZOK.  This new KZOK was owned and operated by the Philippine Broadcasting Corporation as it was then, and it was a sister station to the better known KZPI.
Radio station KZOK was on the air with a homemade 1 kW transmitter operating on the mediumwave frequency 860 kHz.  Studios were located on the 4th Floor of the Ramon Roces Building in Soler Street in downtown Manila, and the transmitter was located in Quezon City.  Soon afterwards, the studios were re-installed on the 5th and 6th floors of the Pilipinas Building at Plaza Moraga.

More changes came on January 1, 1949, including a new callsign under the new callsign sequence for the Philippines, and KZOK became DZAB.  A new studio location found the station at Town House on Dewey Boulevard, though the ownership under all of those recent changes was still retained by the Philippine Broadcasting Corporation.

However two years later in 1951, the station was taken over by the Catholic operated Santo Tomas University, where it spoke for the university, and also for the Catholic church.  The new callsign at this new location in the Main Building at the university, was DZST, with the D indicating the Philippines, the Z indicating the Luzon area, and the ST indicating Santo Tomas, the name of the university.   

In 1958, a high level committee meeting at the university decided in favor of establishing a network of Catholic radio broadcasting stations in the Philippines, and 8 years later (1966) a new organization was born under the title Radio Veritas.  (Veritas is a Latin word meaning truth.)

Two years later again, Radio Veritas was inaugurated at the university with new equipment, still at 1 kW and still on 860 kHz, though with a new callsign DZRV, with the RV now indicating Radio Veritas.  The auspicious date for the inauguration of this new station was April 11, 1969.

In the meantime, plans were underway for the construction of a 50 kW mediumwave transmitter station in what was a rice field on MacArthur Highway near Malolos, some 20 miles northwest of Manila.  At this new location away from Manila itself, another new callsign was granted, not beginning with DZ but rather with DW.  The new callsign, DWRV, indicated quite clearly Radio Veritas.  However, the program studios still remained in Quezon City, Manila. 

During the violent political crisis in the Philippines in the early part of the year 1986, Radio Veritas at Malolos was raided twice.  On Sunday and Monday February 23 and 24, insurgents drove into the station and damaged and destroyed the electronic equipment and antenna systems, though none of the station personnel were harmed. 

It is reported that all five transmitters were destroyed during that double attack.  It is known that there were three shortwave transmitters in the building, and we would suggest that the other two transmitters were the main 50 kW mediumwave unit and also a standby mediumwave unit. 

The program stream from the studios in Quezon City was then fed to the Radio Veritas auxiliary transmitter, also in Quezon City, but after just 15 hours on air, this unit malfunctioned.  News and information from Radio Veritas was then fed from an undisclosed location to another mediumwave station in Manila, DZRJ with 5 kW on 810 kHz.  The damaged 50 kW mediumwave transmitter at Radio Veritas Malolos was soon restored, though the shortwave facility was subsequently rebuilt at another location.

However, due to financial problems, mediumwave Radio Veritas was taken over on May 17, 1991 by the Catholic subsidiary organization, the Global Broadcasting System, as a commercial operation with a new callsign DZNN.  In 2008, a new 50 kW mediumwave facility was constructed at a new location, Barangay Taliptip, Malolos, a shared site with another mediumwave station DZXL.

The old transmitter building on MacArthur Highway Malolos then served as an educational facility for a few years, and also as the home for an FM station.  However since 2011, this solid old building, still with its bullet holes and faded Radio Veritas sign, has lain abandoned, though current information would suggest that there is a serious attempt to have this historic old building restored and declared as a National Heritage Site.
(AWR/Wavescan-NWS 487)

Radio Veritas Asia schedule update

This an updated schedule from the published version in the winter edition of International Shortwave Broadcast Guide.

(Gayle Van Horn)

Philippines, Radio Veritas Asia, is a Catholic station, owned by the Philippine Radio Educational and Information Center. All programming is targeted to Asian regions.

Website: http://www.rveritas-asia.org 

Effective to: 27 March 2016

All times UTC

0030       0057     Bengali 15265as

1400       1430     Bengali 11870as

1130       1200      Burmese   15450as

2330       0000      Burmese    9720as

1330       1400      Chin       9520as

0130       0200       mtw  Chin (Teddi)       15255as

0130       0200       hfas  Chin (Zomi)         15255as

1000       1100       Chinese   11945as

1100       1130       Chinese   11945as

2100       2200       Chinese   6115as

2200       2230       Chinese   6115as

0030       0100       Hindi      15280as

1330       1400       Hindi      11640as

1200       1230       Hmong 11935as

1230       1300       Kachin   15225as

2330       0000       Kachin   9645as

0000       0030       Karen    11935as

1200       1230       Karen    15225as

1000       1030       Kmer  11850as

0000       0030       Sinhala  11855as

1500       1555       Filipino  15620as

2300       2330       Filipino  15355as

1400       1430       Tamil     9520as

0100       0130       Telugu  15530as

1430       1500       Telugu  11750as

0100       0130       Urdu      15280as

1430       1500       Urdu      15330as

0130       0200       Vietnamese  15530as

1300       1400       Vietnamese     11850as

2300       0000        Vietnamese     9670as

(01 Feb 2016)

The Philippine Radio Story: Press Wireless Returns to the Philippines

In our continuing story about the return of Press Wireless to the Philippines towards the end of the Pacific War in the middle of last century, we begin with the PWI events in Hawaii a decade or two earlier.  Press Wireless was founded in the United States in 1929, and they began to develop their own worldwide network of shortwave stations for the two-way flow of news information and reports. 

            It is stated that PWI was serving 62 countries worldwide in the 1930s; and at the peak of their international development they operated 100 transmitters in their own shortwave stations located in North & South America and in the Philippines.  Some news transmissions were by high speed Boehme in Morse Code, and others were voice reports for rebroadcast on network radio stations in the United States.

            An official government listing for June 30, 1930, shows that a total of 13 shortwave frequencies were registered for a new PWI station located 

near Honolulu in Hawaii.  This new shortwave station was designed for communication with PWI at Belmont, south of San Francisco in California; it was constructed in 1932; and it was allocated the callsign KDG.

            Soon after station KDG was inaugurated, PWI lodged a complaint with government authorities in Washington DC stating that a European station, FYR located at Lyon in France, was causing interference to the reception in California from their Honolulu station.  Station KDG was transmitting on its allocated frequency of 11640 kHz, and the station in France was allocated the neighboring channel 11650 kHz, though it was putting out an unstable signal a little lower in frequency.

            There are no known monitoring reports of the shortwave station in Honolulu KDG, probably due to its apparent low powered operation, and also to the fact that its news transmissions must have all been in high speed Morse Code.  At the end of ten years of on air service, that is early in the year 1941, Press Wireless abandoned its Hawaiian shortwave station, due no doubt to the availability of other stations that were in use for the transmission of news information.

            However some three years later again, on April 14 1944, PWI filed an application with the FCC for a new shortwave station in Hawaii.  The transmitter for this station was planned for installation at Ewa, on the south coast of the capital city island Oahu, on the western edge of Honolulu.  There is no further information regarding this projected shortwave station, and it is presumed that it was never installed, due to wartime shortages of equipment and personnel.  Perhaps also, PWI was aware that difficult financial times were ahead of them.

            Around this same time, another PWI project was on the ascendancy, and this was the wartime venture of a training project in Hicksville in association with their large superstation and the nearby electronics factory.  The massive shortwave station was located on Cantiague Raod Hicksville, and the manufactory was located a quarter mile distant in two large buildings on the other side of the roadway.

            The High Power Transmitter School was conducted by PWI at Hicksville in co-operation with the American Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth in neighboring New Jersey.  Training exercises were conducted on a 40 kW PWI shortwave transmitter.  Among those who underwent training on this transmitter was Terry Sandford who wrote a book on his wartime experience with the American/Australian radio ship “Apache”; and others also, who served with PWI in Europe and the Pacific.

            In 1944, under the direction of General Douglas MacArthur, a team of PWI personnel was assembled at Hollandia on the north coast of New Guinea, just across the border on the Dutch side of the island.  Two sub-teams were formed: one team with a 400 watt high speed shortwave transmitter PZ established their facility at Tacloban on Leyte Island, and the other team with a 10 kW voice transmitter PY established their station in Manila.

            After MacArthur’s forces entered the Philippine national capital city, the PWI personnel established a radio studio in the Soriano Building in downtown Manila, and the transmitter was installed several miles out in the country.  In advance, the American army had selected a building for the PWI transmitter, but it was soon discovered that the retreating Japanese had destroyed it.  Another building two miles further out was chosen, and equipment was unloaded into it.  However, due to Japanese infiltration, PWI decided on a third location and this became the semi-permanent home for their shortwave transmitter.

            Press Wireless International PY in Manila made its inaugural transmission to the United States on February 25, 1945.  Three days later, station PZ in Tacloban was closed, and soon afterwards it was  reinstalled with PY in Manila.  Then, during the following month March, PWI Manila took over the transmission of news back to the United States that was previously sent from the radio ship “Apache”.

            On many occasions, PWI Manila was heard by international radio monitors in the United States, New Zealand and Australia.  Callsigns were announced on air and they ran in a series from PY1 to PY19, according to whichever frequency was in use.  The Manila station communicated with the somewhat mysterious new PWI shortwave station that had just been built on the edge of Los Angeles in California. 

            As with other PWI stations, Manila sent out transmissions of news in high speed Morse Code as well as voiced messages for retransmission over the American radio networks.  As part of their identification announcement, Press Wireless, PWI was often identified on air as PreWi (PREE-WHY).

            Early in the new year 1946, shortwave PWI in Manila was noted with occasional relays from the Armed Forces Radio Station WXOI.  This mediumwave station WXOI was on the air under an apparently official American AFRS callsign, though little else is known about  this entertainment radio broadcasting station. 

            Due to the fact that no other shortwave communication station was on the air in Manila immediately after the end of the war, the President of the Philippines, Sergio Osmena, issued an Executive Order, granting approval for PWI Manila to transmit all forms of radio information back to the United States, not only just media news information for use on radio and in newspapers, but also business and personal communications.  

            This Executive Order, No 104, expired on June 24 (1946), after which PWI Manila quietly disappeared.

(AWR/Waescan-NWS 307)

Focus on Asia Philippines: Naval Wireless Station at Cavite

The Cavite Peninsula on the edge of Manila Bay in the Philippines has played a pivotal role throughout the lengthy eras of Philippine history.  The Cavite Peninsula is located on the edge of modern Metro Manila and the name comes into the Spanish language from an ancient word in the Tagalog language, Kawit, meaning a hook, which is the geographic shape of the peninsula.
The earliest settlers on Cavite came from Borneo Sulu some time during the dim distant past; and because of its deep water anchorage, this location became a moorage for ocean going Chinese junks involved in international trade.  The Spanish began their rule of the Philippines at Cavite in 1571; and ¾ century later, the Dutch came and made their attack against the Philippines at this same location.  The British followed in 1672 with an attack on the Philippines at Cavite, though their rule lasted for only two years.
The American era began on May 1, 1898 with an attack against the Spanish at Cavite.  Nearly ½  a century later, the Japanese invaded the Philippines and their attack against Cavite itself began on December 10, 1941, just three days after Pearl Harbor.  A little less than three years later, the Americans returned to Cavite; and ultimately the area was officially handed over to the Philippine government on September 1, 1971.
It was back in the Spring of 1903 that the American navy procured 20 sets of Slaby-Arco wireless equipment from Germany, both transmitters and receivers.  One of these sets of wireless equipment was installed at the American navy base at Cavite, and  a year later the station was taken into regular service for Morse Code traffic, on September 5, 1904.
The original callsign back then was UT, though this was changed on October 1, 1908 to the more familiar internationally recognized callsign NPO.  Back then, the transmitter was described as a composite unit rated at 5 kW and radiating on 500 kHz.
During the year 1915, two tall towers were erected at the American navy base at Cavite and these were 141 feet and 134 feet tall.  The operating power was increased from 5 kW up to 25 kW and station NPO identified as Radio Sangley, honoring the name of the American Naval Station, Sangley Point.
In the early 1920s, three new self supporting radio towers were erected at Cavite, each at 600 feet tall.  When these came into use for supporting the antenna system at NPO, this naval radio station was sending out in Morse Code 2,000 words daily on longwave13900 metres (21.5 kHz) to the navy receiver station in San Francisco.  It is stated that these three tall towers were visible from Manila City, ten miles distant.
  The usage of shortwave for international radio communication was implemented at the Cavite radio station in the early 1920s.  For example, it is recorded in the year 1926 that station NPO was utilizing two shortwave channels 3548 and 4283 kHz.  Then, in 1929, an additional six shortwave transmitters were installed at NPO, each at 10 kW.
During the 1930s, the PanAm Seaplane Clippers, passenger and freight service, called at Cavite once each week in their flights between the United States and several Pacific locations.  A color postcard from this era shows the PanAm Clipper moored at Cavite, with the skyline in the distance.
On December 10, 1941, a Japanese air raid badly damaged the radio station at Cavite setting the radio station building on fire, and damaging one of the tall towers.
Beginning just five days later, on December 15, 1941, eight daily special programs were beamed to the Philippines on shortwave for rebroadcast via 12 mediumwave and shortwave stations in Manila.  Some of these relay programs were picked up at Cavite and rebroadcast on their transmitters also.  Then when the Japanese took over Manila, Cavite continued to re-broadcast the program  information from California for a few additional days, apparently from temporary facilities.
Soon afterwards, on January 2 of the next year, 1942, the order was given to evacuate Cavite.  When the Americans returned three years later, they found the three towers still standing.
The famous wireless station at Sangley Point, the American navy base at Cavite in the Philippines, is an example of  the widespread network of huge wireless stations established by America in strategic locations around our globe.  As the well known writer and editor stated in Popular Communications a few years ago, “The Cavite station was a most historic wireless facility, a well known landmark.”  That statement came from the pen (or maybe the typewriter) of the late Tom Kneitel, writing under the pseudonym Alice Brannigan.
(AWR Wavescan/NWS 260)

Revised Philippines Summer Schedules

Broadcast daily unless otherwise indicated. Target areas and languages as indicated

All times UTC

FEBC Philippines

0000-0015   9795 IBA 100 kW / 270 deg to SEAs Khmu
0000-0030   9405 BOC 100 kW / 345 deg to EaAs Chinese
0000-0100  12055 BOC 100 kW / 305 deg to SEAs Lahu/Wa
0000-0100  12070 IBA 100 kW / 330 deg to EaAs Chinese
0000-0100  15600 BOC 100 kW / 293 deg to SEAs Chin-Asho/Khumi-Karen
0000-0130  15435 BOC 100 kW / 305 deg to EaAs Shan/Tai-Lu/Maitei/Chin
0100-0130  15560 BOC 100 kW / 200 deg to SEAs Javanese
0630-0800  15450 IBA 100 kW / 330 deg to EaAs Chinese
0730-0900  15525 BOC 100 kW / 345 deg to EaAs Chinese
0800-0830  15320 BOC 100 kW / 200 deg to SEAs Madurese M-Wed
0800-0830  15320 BOC 100 kW / 185 deg to SEAs Sasak Thu-Sun
0800-0900  15450 IBA 100 kW / 330 deg to EaAs Hu/Mongolian
0830-0900  11820 BOC 100 kW / 200 deg to SEAs Banjar M/Wed/Fri
0830-0900  11820 BOC 100 kW / 185 deg to SEAs Gortalo Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun
0900-1000  15450 BOC 100 kW / 245 deg to SEAs Minangkabau
0900-1000  15580 BOC 100 kW / 185 deg to SEAs Makassarese/Buginese
0900-1400   9400 IBA 100 kW / 330 deg to EaAs Chinese
0900-1700   9430 BOC 100 kW / 345 deg to EaAs Chinese
1000-1030  15640 BOC 100 kW / 308 deg to SEAs Southern Bai
1030-1100  12095 BOC 100 kW / 293 deg to SEAs Tai-Lu
1000-1100  15580 BOC 100 kW / 215 deg to SEAs Sunda/Sasak
1100-1200   9795 BOC 100 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Lahu
1100-1200   9855 IBA 100 kW / 270 deg to SEAs Vietnamese
1100-1300  12095 BOC 100 kW / 305 deg to SEAs Hmong/Lao/Njua/Mien
1115-1200  15330 BOC 100 kW / 278 deg to SEAs Karen/M/Jingpho
1200-1300   7410 BOC 100 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Khmer
1200-1330   9920 IBA 100 kW / 270 deg to SEAs Rade/Jarai/Roglai/Sedang/Koho
1200-1400  12020 BOC 100 kW / 293 deg to SEAs Rawang/Akha/Naga/Chin-Daai
1300-1330  11825 BOC 100 kW / 305 deg to CeAs Tibetan
1300-1400  12095 BOC 100 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Hmong/Khmu
1330-1400   9890 BOC 100 kW / 305 deg to CeAs Chinese-Yunnan
1400-1430  11750 BOC 100 kW / 305 deg to SEAs Lahu
1400-1430  15620 BOC 100 kW / 200 deg to SEAs Javanese
1400-1600   9345 IBA 100 kW / 330 deg to EaAs Chinese
1430-1500  12085 BOC 100 kW / 323 deg to CeAs Uyghur
1500-1600  11650 BOC 100 kW / 323 deg to CeAs Russian M-Sat
1500-1600  11650 BOC 100 kW / 323 deg to CeAs Russian/Ukrainan Sun
2230-2400   9405 BOC 100 kW / 345 deg to EaAs Chinese
2300-2330   9365 BOC 100 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Iu Mien
2300-2330   9795 BOC 100 kW / 275 deg to SEAs M
2300-2330  12095 BOC 100 kW / 293 deg to SEAs Hmg
2300-2400  12070 IBA 100 kW / 330 deg to EaAs Chinese
2330-2400   9795 BOC 100 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Lao
2330-2400  12055 BOC 100 kW / 305 deg to SEAs Palaung/Pale/Tai-Lu
2330-2400  15600 BOC 100 kW / 293 deg to SEAs Burmese

Radio Pilipinas Philippines Broadcasting Service:
0200-0330  11880 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to N&ME Tagalog/English
0200-0330  15285 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to N&ME Tagalog/English
0200-0330  17820 PHT 250 kW / 315 deg to N&ME Tagalog/English
1730-1930   9915 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to N&ME English/Tagalog
1730-1930  11720 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to N&ME English/Tagalog
1730-1930  15190 PHT 250 kW / 283 deg to N&ME English/Tagalog

Radio Veritas Asia
0000-0027  11855 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs Sinhala
0000-0027  15460 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs Sinhala
0000-0027  11935 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Karen


0030-0057  11855 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs Tamil
0030-0057  15265 PUG 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs Bengali
0030-0057  15280 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs Hindi
0100-0127  15280 PUG 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs Urdu
0100-0127  15530 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs Telugu
0100-0127  17860 PUG 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs Urdu
0130-0157  15255 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Zomi-Chin
0130-0227  15530 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Vietnamese
1000-1027  11850 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Khmer
1000-1157  11945 PUG 250 kW / 355 deg to EaAs Mandarin
1030-1127  11850 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Vietnamese
1130-1157  15450 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Burmese
1200-1227  11935 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Hmong
1200-1227  15225 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Karen
1230-1257  15225 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Kachin
1300-1327  11850 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Vietnamese
1330-1357   9520 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs Sinhala
1330-1357  11870 PUG 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs Hindi
1400-1427   9520 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs Tamil
1400-1427  11870 PUG 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs Bengali
1430-1457  11750 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs Telugu
1430-1457  11870 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Zomi-Chin
1430-1457  15330 SMG 250 kW / 070 deg to SoAs Urdu
1500-1557  15320 SMG 250 kW / 130 deg to N&ME Filipino
2100-2257   6115 PUG 250 kW / 350 deg to EaAs Mandarin
2300-2327  15355 PUG 250 kW / 331 deg to CeAs Filipino
2330-2357   9645 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Kachin
2330-2357   9670 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Vietnamese
2330-2357   9720 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SEAs Burmese
(DX Re Mix 787)

Radio Veritas - A13 Summer Schedule

Philippines

Radio Veritas

Effective: 31 March - 26 October 2013

All services targed to Asia

All times UTC

Bengali
0030–0057 15265
1400–1427   11870

Chin
0130–0157 15255
1430-1500   11870

Filipino
1500-1553   15320 CVA SMG
2300-2327   15355

Hindi
0030–0057   15280
1330–1400   11870

Hmong
1200–1227   11935

Kachin
1230–1257   15225
2330-2357 9645

Karen
0000–0027   11935
1200–1230   15225

Khmer
1000–1030   11850

Mandarin
1000-1157 11945
1100-1157 11945
2100–2200 6115
2200-2257   6115

Myanmar
1130-1157 15450
2330–2357   9720

Sinhala
0000–0027   15460
1330–1400   9520

Tamil
0030–0057   11855
1400–1427   9520

Telugu
0100–0127   15530
1430–1500   11750

Urdu
0100–0127   15280 17860
1430-1457 15330  CVA SMG

Vietnamese
0130–0230   15530
1030–1127   11850
1300–1327   11850
2330–2357   9670
(RVA Technical Dept. Ashik Eqbal Tokon Rajshahi, Bangladesh)

Radio Veritas winter schedule update

Philippines

all times UTC

effective: 28 January 2013

0030-0057 11855 PUG 250 kW / 280 deg to SoAs Tamil,  ex 11935#
1330-1357 11915 PUG 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs Hindi,  ex 11870*
1400-1427 11915 PUG 250 kW / 300 deg to SoAs Bengali,ex 11870*
# to avoid China National Radio 5 in Chinese
* to avoid Radio Romania Internatinal in Romanian
(DX Re Mix 764/21 Jan 2013)

Radio Veritas implements frequency change

Philippines

Radio Veritas Asia

Effective: 19 August 2012

All times UTC


Delete: 1430-1457 Urdu 15435
Add: 1430-1457 Urdu 15330

Delete: 1500-1553 Filipino 15350
Add: 1500-1553 Filipino 15320
(Ashik Rajshahi, Bangladesh/(HCDX)

Radio Veritas Asia Summer Schedule

Philippines

Effective: 25 March - 28 October 2012

All times UTC

Bengali
0030–0057 15.265
1400–1427 11.870


Chin
0130–0157 15.255
1430-1500 11.870

Filipino
2300-2327 9.720
1500-1553 15.350 (Via CVA)

Hindi
0030–0057 15.280
1330–1400 11.870

Hmong
1200–1227 11.935

Kachin
2330–2357 9.645
1230–1257 15.225

Karen
0000–0027 11.935
1200–1230 15.225

Khmer
1000–1030 11.850

Mandarin
2100–2257 6.115
1000–1157 11.945

Myanmar
2330–2357 9.720
1130–1157 15.450

Sinhala
0000–0027 11.855
0000–0027 15.460
1330–1400 9.520

Tamil
0030–0057 11.935
1400–1427 9.520

Telugu
0100–0127 15.530
1430–1500 11.750

Urdu
0100–0127 15.280
0100–0127 17.860
1430-1457 15.435

Vietnamese
2330–2357 9.670
0130–0230 15.530
1030–1127 11.850
1300–1327 11.850
(Ashik Rajshahi,Bangladesh/HCDX)