PHILIPPINES: POWERFUL VOICE TO THE WORLD - Part 2


 

PHILIPPINES:
A Powerful Broadcasting Voice to the World
Part 2

This article first appeared in my World of Shortwave Listening column in the December 2024 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. Further details on this excellent publication are available at www.thespectrummonitor.com

PART 1 - CLICK HERE. (Part 1 of this extended article looks at the broadcasting scene in the Philippines, plus the history and current situation of the Voice of America.)


Radyo Pilipinas

The government station Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an arm of the Presidential Broadcast Service, operating under the Presidential Communications Office. In addition to shortwave, the organization has extensive AM, FM, television, and affiliate networks that have existed in many forms since the post-WWII era.

Since the war, PBS shortwave programming has been sponsored and aired over VoA transmitter sites in Malolos (north of Manila) and Tinang (central Luzon). As mentioned earlier, from 1969, the station employed cast-off, lower-powered equipment donated when the Malolos site closed.

In 1991, using the powerful VoA-Tinang transmitters, the Philippine Broadcasting Service commenced a daily two-hour international service in English and Filipino, known as Radyo Pilipinas, “the Voice of the Philippines” using the callsign DZRP.

Today, the Radyo Pilipinas World Service is well-heard in most parts of the world thanks to access to the high-powered (250 kW) facilities of the USAGM transmitting station at Tinang. It currently beams to the Middle East, where a significant expatriate Filipino community works in construction and allied services. Other Filipino workers around the globe can also enjoy the broadcasts. The schedule rarely changes:

0200-0330 English 9475, 15640, 17820 

1730-1930 Filipino (and some English) 9925, 12120, 15190


Japanese shortwave enthusiast Kazuaki Oikawa was delighted to receive this recent
 eQSL from Radyo Pilipinas for the English broadcast at 0200 UTC.
(used with permission)


Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC)

FEBC is a vast religious broadcasting organization that describes itself as an interdenominational ministry utilizing radio, the Internet and emerging technologies to share its Good News message with the world. Its website boasts the following statistics:

• FEBC broadcasts are heard in 152 languages

• In 50 countries around the world

• Aired from 260 stations and transmitters

• Totaling 1,571 hours of programming a day.


The station’s first broadcasts in 1945 came from inside China with a station in Shanghai, which was subsequently closed under pressure from the incoming Chinese Communist government. A move was made to the Philippines with a mediumwave outlet (DZAS 680 kHz) in Manila. By the early 1950s, the shortwave service was well underway, using separate callsigns for each frequency. In 1963, frequencies were allocated across the entire shortwave spectrum with outputs ranging from 2.5 to 10 kW:

• DZB2-3345; DZH6-6130; DZH7-9715; DZH8-11850 or 11855;

• DZH9-15300;

• DZI6-17810 or 17805; DZI8-21515; DZI9-7230 or 7240;

• DZF2-11920; DZF3-15385 kHz


As the early focus was on delivering broadcasts to China, FEBC was regularly subjected to jamming from the Chinese Communist Party. Interestingly, China appears less interested in FEBC these days, and jamming is no longer prevalent. However, the same cannot be said for the Vietnamese government, which still engages in jamming of some FEBC broadcasts.

Other stations owned and operated over the decades under the FEBC banner include the historic U.S. station KGEI (1960-1994), KFBS in Saipan (1984-2011), and the related station FEBA Seychelles.




Despite 21st-century technical advances, Internet delivery and alternative media modes at its disposal, FEBC’s shortwave service has been and still is an active and influential voice throughout Asia. 

The range of broadcasts in less common, regionally specific languages is particularly interesting. For example, you will find the Rawang language (a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by around 65,000 in India and Burma), Buginese (from the southern part of Sulawesi, Indonesia), Rade (with less than 200,000 native speakers in Southern Vietnam) and Jarai (around 500,000 speakers in Vietnam and Cambodia). FEBC is the only shortwave broadcaster covering these languages to small, geographically distinct regions of Asia.

FEBC also goes by other names, such as Radio Liangyou for Mandarin and related languages and Radio Teos for Russian and Ukrainian broadcasts. And, like many other religious broadcasters, it often includes programming by external providers.

75% of FEBC’s broadcasts emanate from the Bocaue transmitter site, located in the Bulacan province of Central Luzon, 25 km north of central Manila. The remaining transmissions come from the coastal site of Iba in the Zambales province, about 140 km northwest of Manila. The station’s schedule does not move much from one transmission season to another. All times are in UTC, and frequencies are in kHz.

SEAs = South East Asia, EAs = East Asia, Rus/Ukr = Russia, Ukraine


0000-0015 Daily in Khmu on 9795 to SEAs

0000-0045 Daily in Shan on 15435 to SEAs

0015-0045 Daily in Lahu on 12055 to SEAs

0030-0045 Daily in Chin (Mro) on 15450 to SEAs

0045-0100 Daily in Wa on 12055 to SEAs 

0045-0100 Daily in Tai (Nua) on 15435 to SEAs

0100-0130 Daily in Javanese on 15560 to SEAs

0100-0130 Daily in Karen on 15435 to SEAs

0900-0930 Daily in Makasar on 15580 to SEAs

0900-0930 Daily in Tibetan on 15450 to Tibet

0930-1000 Daily in Minangkabau on 15420 to SEAs

0930-1000 Daily in Mongolian on 15450 to EAs

0930-1000 Daily in Buginese on 15580 to SEAs

1000-1030 Mon-Fri in Shan on 13870 to SEAs

1000-1030 Daily in Hui on 9400 to EAs

1000-1030 Daily in Sundanese on 15580 to SEAs

1000-1030 Mon-Fri in Hmong on 12095 to SEAs

1000-1600 Daily in Mandarin on 9275 to EAs

1030-1100 Daily in Cantonese on 9400 to EAs

1030-1100 Daily in Tai-Lu on 12095 to SEAs

1030-1100 Mon-Fri in Iu Mien on 13870 to SEAs

1030-1100 Daily in Sasak on 15580 to EAs

1100-1130 Daily in Hmong on 12095 to SEAs

1100-1130 Sat/Sun Hmong on 12095 to SEAs

1100-1200 Daily in Vietnamese on 9795 to SEAs

1100-1300 Daily in Khmer on 13870 to SEAs

1100-1400 Daily in Mandarin on 9400 to EAs

1115-1145 Daily in Mon on 15330 to SEAs

1130-1200 Daily in Lao on 12095 to SEAs

1145-1200 Daily in Karen on 15330 to SEAs

1200-1215 Daily in Rawang on 12120 to SEAs

1200-1230 Sun-Wed in Rade on 9920 to SEAs

1200-1230 Thu-Sat in Jarai on 9920 to SEAs

1200-1230 Daily in Iu Mien on 12095 to SEAs

1215-1230 Daily in Akha on 12120 to SEAs

1230-1245 Daily in Achang on 12095 to SEAs

1230-1245 Daily in Naga on 12120 to SEAs

1230-1300 Mon/Wed/Fri in Bahnar on 9920 to SEAs

1230-1300 Tu/Th/Sa/Su in Hre on 9920 to SEAs

1245-1300 Daily in Tai (Dam) on 12095 to SEAs

1245-1300 Daily in Chin (Daai) on 12120 to SEAs

1300-1330 Daily in Lisu on 12120 to SEAs

1300-1330 Daily in Koho on 9920 to SEAs

1300-1330 Daily in Hui on 11600 to SEAs

1300-1330 Daily in Hmong on 12095 to SEAs

1330-1400 Daily in Burmese on 12120 to SEAs

1330-1400 Daily in Yunnan on 11600 to EAs

1330-1400 Daily in Khmu on 12095 to SEAs

1400-1430 Daily in Javanese on 15620 to SEAs

1400-1430 Mon-Fri in Karen on 15450 to SEAs

1400-1430 Daily in Lahu on 11750 to SEAs

1400-1600 Daily in Mandarin on 9345 to EAs

1430-1500 Daily in Uighur on 9940 to EAs

1500-1600 Thu-Sun in Russian on 9920 to Rus/Ukr

1500-1545 Mon-Wed in Ukrainian on 9920 to Rus/Ukr

2230-0030 Daily in Mandarin on 9405 to EAs

2300-2330 Mon-Fri in Hmong-Daw on 12095 to SEAs

2300-2330 Sat/Sun in Hmong-Njua on 12095 to SEAs

2300-2330 Daily in Mon on 9795 to SEAs

2000-2330 Mon-Fri in Shan on 12055 to SEAs

2300-2330 Daily in Iu Mien on 9875 to SEAs

2300-0100 Daily in Mandarin on 12070 to EAs

2330-2345 Daily in Palaung on 12055 to SEAs

2330-0000 Daily in Lao on 9795 to SEAs

2330-0000 Mon-Fri in lu Mien on 9875 to SEAs

2330-0030 Daily in Burmese on 15450 to SEAs

2345-0015 Daily in Tai-Lu on 12055 to SEAs


Hopefully, this little tour of the Philippines’ broadcasting scene has provided a greater insight into this vast western Pacific country's history and current shortwave activities.


References:

• Ledyard, Gleason H. (1963) Sky Waves - The Incredible Far East Broadcasting Company Story. Chicago: Moody Press

• Adrian Peterson’s Wavescan program scripts 2003, 2018 and 2022

• Berg, Jerome S. (2008) Broadcasting on the Short Waves - 1945 to Today. Jefferson NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.

• Voice of America monitoring advice




73 and good DX to you!

Rob Wafgner VK3BVW




CLICK HERE for VK3BVW Live Stream (Clublog)



QRZ callsign lookup:


© Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn DX Report, and contributors 2012-2026

Comments

  1. Dan Greenall VE3HLCJanuary 12, 2025 at 5:26 AM

    Thanks for posting all the great information about broadcasting in the Philippines, Rob. A lot of good information there for sure. I am currently able to enjoy over the air programs from Radyo Pilipinas by way of KiwiSDR reception. My friend Ken, VE3HLS, has one in northern Thailand that works well for this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rob WagnerJanuary 12, 2025 at 10:05 AM

      G'day, Dan. Thank you for your kind words and feedback. The Kiwis have certainly made it easier for those listeners in non-target locations to participate in active listening when there is no reception at their home QTH. There are several excellent Kiwis in Thailand - the other one I use occasionally is LA6LU's receiver at Cha Am, Southern Thailand. That one is great for checking on the domestic Asian and southeast Asian stations. 73 de Rob VK3BVW

      Delete

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