The Philippines provincial station DXDC of Radyo Ng Bayan in Tawi-Tawi, started airing selected programmes of the Voice of America last Tuesday. The installation of a satellite dish and some accessories made possible the downlinking of VOA programmes in the province of Tawi-Tawi. DXDC (792 kHz) is the first radio station in the province to be linked to VOA. Another Radyo Ng Bayan provincial radio station, DXSM in Jolo, Sulu is scheduled to follow in the next few days.
Both provincial radio stations are under the government’s media network, the Philippine Broadcasting Service-Bureau of Broadcasting Services (PBS-BBS) that recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the VOA, which aims to strengthen US-Philippines ties through assisting in the upgrading of facilities and enhancement of broadcast programmes for the two radio stations.
DXDC Station Manager Chandler Salapuddin said a team visited Tawi-Tawi to install the equipment. He understands that negotiations and signing of the Memorandum of Agreement were held in Manila with Director Dante Cruz of PBS and Joyce Ngoh, Regional Marketing Officer of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
(Source: Philippine Information Agency via Kim Andrew Elliott/Radio Netheralands-Media Network Weblog)