Kuya Daniel Razon has started expanding his idea of bringing on-the-job training closer and closer to scholar students.  Alongside this commitment, the veteran broadcast journalist takes pain in providing hands-on training and giving exposures to students in the real life radio production works as well as community-centered reporting.

Following the launch of UNTV Mobile Radio and Student Hour radio show via UNTV Radyo La Verdad earlier last year, Kuya Daniel is now pressing forward an add-on to his student journalism project – the so-called Student Reporters where youth are empowered to be participant of the role journalists play in their respective community.

To kick off this commitment, Kuya Daniel organized the Student Reporters: Campus and Community Seminar-Workshop in La Verdad Christian College (LVCC) in Caloocan last January 13 this year. A total of 317 participants – which is not limited to communications majors only but also youth who will be trained as community reporters – attended the training.

“We are here to form a pool of students who are courageous enough to gather significant information on current situation right at their very own places,” explained by UNTV Radio Station Manager, Ms. Annie Rentoy.

In the seminar-workshop, the participants were taught of the basic know-hows of news gathering, writing, and reporting. To all intents and purposes, they experienced live reporting with Ms. Rentoy and Jeck de Ocampo, one of the hosts of the radio program Student Hour.

Inspiring students to become community reporters has already gained positive feedback from Kuya Daniel’s peers in the industry and from the participants as well.

“This is a notable project since not all places are accessible to professional reporters. (Isang magandang proyekto yan.. unang una hindi naman lahat ng lugar nasasakop ng mga reporters),” said Evelyn Cristobal, one of the participants during the seminar-workshop.

According to Ms. Rentoy, Kuya Daniel gave the green light for their group to continue holding such seminars and training that will better equip and prepare the student reporters with the skills necessary to be involved in this endeavor, instilling the virtues in respect to “Rescue First, Report Later (Tulong Muna Bago Balita).”

Another opportunity opened by Kuya Daniel to train students in the complex and demanding radio production works was made possible through his new radio program in UNTV Radio – Dear Kuya. Communication students as participants of the program comprise the live drama segment of the show every day, acting as voice talents and scriptwriters for the show.

Written by: Neil Kristofer Dizon