DZJO92.7 SpiritFM Infanta, Prelature of Infanta
By Father Francis Lucas, General Manager
Communication is vital to the survival and development of peoples, especially for the rural folk always “left behind” and deprived of social services. Outsiders call the Prelature of Infanta a God-forsaken place due to its poverty and isolation. To address this issue, Bishop Julio X. Labayen, OCD, and his fellow Carmelite missionaries brought in Father Ted Centala, OCD, a self-learned radio broadcaster, in 1966 to oversee the possibility of radio broadcasting in Infanta. In 1968, DZJO 720 khz radio station, started broadcasting, using a FRT-15 American Navy surplus which became a 3000-watt transmitter. Its 1 kilowatt eight-configuration 220-foot-tall double-antenna tower reached far-flung areas from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Due to the geographic constraints of the communities, radio was the only means of getting connected.
Known as the “Tambuli (carabao horn to call people together) ng Bayanihan,” it served the central towns and group of islands of the Prelature of Infanta in Quezon.
Programs by parishioners were in Tagalog. The radio station served as the hub of communication: as a public information system, as the equalizer for issues, news, information, public affairs, education for young and old, entertainment, and evangelization. The broadcasts of Sunday Mass and the Bible school were most popular. In 1979 the radio station increased its power with new equipment and transmitter to 5 kilowatts.
Named “Station of the Year” in 1980, during Pope John Paul II’s pastoral visit to the Philippines, DZJO has been recognized as a pioneer of community-based radio. It faced many challenges, however, over the years. It was destroyed twice by typhoons, once burned, and in 2004 massive floods and mudslides destroyed all the AM equipment and antennas.
In 2006 the radio station metamorphosed from an expensive AM band to a more affordable, better-sounding and more popular FM band with one small antenna and 1kilowatt transmitter. This voice of Christian community has also become the lifeline of fisherfolk at sea who rely on radio weather reports for their safety. It continues its mission as 92.7 SPIRIT FM INFANTA. The multiple typhoons that hit Infanta toward the end of 2020, however, battered the equipment and antenna. We will use Metro Infanta Foundation funding to purchase replacements and increase broadcasting power to meet community demands.
To make a donation to replace the transmitters of Infanta’s SPIRIT FM, please click the donate button abovo or send your checks to: Metro Infanta Foundation, 7350 Braun Way, Arvada, CO 80005.
Remember: Metro Infanta Foundation received 100% rating from the Charity Navigator. It is “Safe to Give” to the Foundation!
