AIRED during weekdays, 5:45 to 6:00 in the morning, BSU School-on-the-Air is seen as an opportunity not only for farmers but also for homemakers and listeners across varied background to learn particular modules and acquire a certificate of completion from BSU.
Such holds true during the graduation of new batch of learners from different communities.
The learnings take place in different homes and in different places. BSU’s SOA last April saw the graduation of 170 enrollees in the 10 Kumainments – SOA of CHET-BSU in coordination with the National Nutrition Council (NCC). Elsie Almoza of Loakan, Itogon shared that through listening to the program, she was able to gain knowledge on healthy cooking for her family. She was able to attend to three modules.
On the other hand, Daisy Bangleg a Barangay Kagawad at Nueva Viscaya mused that upon waking up one morning, she accidentally heard of the program, and from then on she became an avid listener. This is more so that malnutrition is observed in their place. As someone in charge of the Committee on Health, additional information about combatting malnutrition through the SOA is significant. She is now looking forward to other topics to be discussed such as good governance.
Another listener is a farmer named Richard Molitas. He shared that it is his third time to finish a module, through the BSU SOA, since he finds the topics very helpful. He was able to name the anchors of the program due to his fondness in listening to BSU-SOA. The learning he had from it serves as a continuation of his education since he did not apply what he had learned in college. And whenever he gets busy, he records the program and finds time to listen to it then answer the quizzes.
Marcelo Capiato from Sagpat, Kibungan is also a listener to the program.
“No kasla garud ti estudyante ket isu met ti makunak nga extra-curricular aktivitik” (Just like a student, I consider it as my extra-curricular activity) he stated. Losing his phone one time did not stop him from answering the quizzes. He borrowed a cellphone from his friend just to complete the quiz scheduled for the week and later acquired another phone so as not to be left out in the SOA.
The youngest of all the 179 graduates is Beatriz Atiyeng, a 12 year-old grade six student from Buklawan, Kapangan. Together with her mother, they listened to the program and both successfully finished the module. In his testimony, she revealed that it was her mother who encouraged her to participate. She said it was not that hard even if she goes to school on weekdays. She woke up early every morning just to listen and answer quizzes in the SOA.
SOA, as a component of BSU on-the-air program of the Office of Extension Services started as a medium of the University to bring learning to communities since 1999. The first SOA was aired in partnership with the Department of Agriculture-CAR and anchored by Dr. Silvestre Kudan (also known as ‘Bassit nga Lakay’). It was formerly known as the BSU Agri-School-on-the-Air.
Participants of the earlier SOA’s were instructed to enroll through telephone calls or letters. They were also asked to send their answers to the question using the same media. The first module that was produced for the SOA are about crop production, fruit production, and animal raising.
To date, the OES already aired nine School-on-the-Air programs. Accounts show how SOA is actually creating ‘communities’ and building relationships.
“There is an ongoing information needs assessment from the listeners to identify the specific topics to be aired for the next SOA,” says Ms. Nora C. Sagayo, the current anchor and module facilitator of the program.
BSU SOA gives not just knowledge but an irreplaceable experience for everyone for almost 20 years. It was already built in every avid listeners’ culture to wait on the next SOA. BSU-Extension office has scheduled another SOA before the year ends. This time, it invites everyone to come and knock and be a part of the home it builds. Better turn your radio on every 5:45 AM-6:00 AM to learn about development topics.