Veteran broadcaster Dr. Love, whose real name is Bro. Jun Banaag, has retired at the age of 75.
He revealed that he was hospitalized with pneumonia last month, during which doctors diagnosed him with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which he said was the result of his years of smoking.
Brother Jun admitted that it was not easy to let go of his long-running radio program, Dr. Love, on 105.9 True FM, which aired its final episode on June 30, 2026. The station’s management invited him to bid farewell to listeners in person, but he declined, fearing he might “break down” emotionally.
Instead, he chose to say goodbye to his loyal listeners through a phone patch interview with DJ Popoy.
“The doctor said it would take some time. It will be quite a while before I get back to how I used to be. And I didn’t want the program to suffer because I would have difficulty speaking for a long time.
“In fact, even now, my voice hasn’t fully recovered because of the nebulizer treatments I received at the hospital. My voice is still weak,” he was quoted as saying by PEP.ph.
“It wasn’t easy to make this decision. I have been in the industry for about 57 or 58 years.
“Dr. Love is celebrating its 28th year this year, and it hasn’t been easy for me. My whole family, including my children, sat down to talk. My children in the United Arab Emirates, along with everyone else here, told me, ‘You have had a successful career. I think it’s about time you rest. I think it’s about time you make time for yourself as well and enjoy life in the years you have ahead of you.’
“It’s not easy to let go of a program. It’s not easy to leave behind the listeners.” / TRC S
