On World Radio Day (February 13),
Senator Loren Legarda highlighted the invaluable contributions of radio in
disaster management.
Legarda, UNISDR Global Champion for
Resilience and Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, underscored the
importance of radio in disseminating all types of information, be it news or
disaster alerts, among the widest number of people especially those living in
the rural and remote areas.
“The job of our radiomen is very crucial
in disaster preparedness and management. They can disseminate early warning and
advisories to allow communities to prepare for natural hazards such as
typhoons, ahead of time. Also, when it comes to responding to emergencies,
radiomen are on the ground within the first 24 hours of a disaster to relay
health and other vital information over the airwaves,” Legarda said.
The theme of World Radio Day 2016 is
‘Radio and Emergency and Disaster Situations’. Said event is an initiative of
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
“On this World Radio Day, I salute the
pioneers of the industry, and those who work and contribute to fulfilling its
role to inform, educate and entertain the public,” said Legarda, who was a
broadcast journalist for 20 years before she became a senator.
“Let us continue to find ways to make
radio a true agent of change and social transformation and a meaningful forum
for the discussion of relevant issues affecting the nation,” she added.
Legarda has filed a Senate Resolution
urging the national government to lead the national observance of World Radio
Day every 13th day of February in recognition of the important role of radio as
a medium of free expression.***
