A HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE VIMCONTU BROADCASTING CORPORATION (VBC)

Established in 1967, VIMCONTU Broadcasting Corporation was originally the media arm of the Visayas-Mindanao Confederation of Trade Unions (VIMCONTU). The VIMCONTU is a duly-established labor federation which sought to unify different labor leaders and organizations in the Visayas and Mindanao. They have been up to each other’s necks for decades. Such a time is remembered as “confusing, chaotic and a turmoil” for labor leaders. They were driven by their “mania of mutual destruction.” Having seen the need for labor leaders to come together as one, the officership of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) headed by Atty. Democrito T. Mendoza, Atty. Cecilio T. Seno and Atty. Januario T. Seno founded the VIMCONTU in 1963. There were several attempts before to form a confederation but each was met by instant death.

In February 1963, the new and only confederation in the Visayas, the VIMCONTU began to come to being when a handful of labor heads met at one of the downtown restaurants in Cebu. After that initial conference, several conferences followed with the number of labor leaders attending increased in every succeeding conference. The confederation’s founding convention followed on 02 March 1963. It was attended by delegates of fifteen (15) labor organizations in the Visayas and in Mindanao. Thus for the first time in local labor history, the various labor forces in the Visayas and Mindanao which had long been locked in bitter struggle for supremacy were glued together in one solid mass. This was the beginning of a new era of a sound labor relationship which benefited the workingmen who had been caught in the crossfire of the labor elements in the region.

At the time of its founding, VIMCONTU had a natural base of 80,000 workers from fifteen (15) labor organizations and workers associations. This was eventually increased to eighteen (18) organizations with 130,000 worker-members as follows:

  1. Associated Labor Unions (ALU)
  2. Associated Security Guards and Watchmen’s Association (ASGWA)
  3. Associated Supervisors Union (ASU)
  4. Bohol United Workers, Inc., (BUWI)
  5. Balintawak Labor Union (BLU)
  6. Cebu Trade Union (CTU)
  7. Cebu Oil Employees Association (COEA)
  8. Caltex Supervisors and Foremen’s Union (CSFU)
  9. Cement Workers Union (CWU)
  10. Congress of Independent Organizations (CIO)
  11. Fraternal Labor Organization (FLO)
  12. First Farmers Employees and Laborers’ Cooperative Union (FFELCU)
  13. Mindanao Sawmill – Logging Employees Union (MISLEU)
  14. Mobil Employees Association (MEA)
  15. Progressive Labor Association (PLA)
  16. Seamen’s Association of the Philippines, Inc., (SAP)
  17. United Federation of Free Trade Union (UEFTU)
  18. United Free Workers Union (UFWU)

The officers of the confederation at the time were: Atty. Democrito T. Mendoza (President); Atty. Cecilio T. Seno (Executive Vice President); Pedro M. Nacua (1st Vice President and Treasurer); Maximo R. Lazarte (2nd Vice President and General Secretary); Remigio L. Sabulao (3rd Vice President and Auditor): Crispin B. Gastardo (4th Vice President); Eutiquio Cimafranca (5th Vice President): Alexander P. Nillas (6th Vice President): Januario T. Seno (Chief legal Counsel); Federico J. Dinapo (Assistant General Secretary); and Claudio Y. Tolo (Assistant Treasurer).

In pursuit of the objective of providing mutual assistance among the members and affiliates, the confederation was able to acquire a lot from the National Government by donation. The lot is located in the waterfront (near Fort San Pedro) and has an area of 4,561 sq. m. The acquisition of the lot entailed a long and arduous task which commenced in 1963 yet when the confederation applied for the acquisition of the same by lease. Not minding the frustrations and humiliations that they experienced in the course of their making representations with various government offices and officials, the confederation’s executive officials continued to insist in acquiring the lot. Finally, on 19 May 1966, the ___th Congress passed Republic Act No. 4694 authorizing the President of the Philippines to sell said lot to the VIMCONTU.

With the end in view of keeping its members informed of its activities and other workers’ concerns, and as a public service feature, the VIMCONTU applied for a franchise to operate a radio broadcasting system. Hence, the Sixth Congress passed and enacted Republic Act No. 4198 authorizing the VIMCONTU to put up a radio broadcasting system to be known as the VIMCONTU Broadcasting Corporation (VBC). The VBC officially started its regular programming on 03 August 1967 and was officially inaugurated on 12 August 1967. For unknown reason, the station celebrates its annual anniversary every 27th of the September.

VBC then became the biggest and the most powerful radio station in Cebu. With its operation, VIMCONTU earned the credit for being the first labor association in the Philippines and in Asia, to have owned and operated a radio broadcasting system. In 1995, the VBC’s franchise to construct, install, operate and maintain radio and television broadcasting stations within the Philippines was renewed through Republic Act No. 8116. The franchise is set to expire in 2020.

The DYLA – The Voice of Labor

The DYLA has no grand and overpromising tagline. It is simply “The Voice of Labor” or Tingog sa mga Mamumuo.” The slogan eventually evolved as “Ang Labing Tinamod ug Tinahod nga Radio News Organization sa Sugbo” (the most respected and highly regarded radio news organization in Cebu) created during the incumbency of Cerge Remonde as station manager.

The VBC has not deviated from its sole purpose of being the medium for communicating labor issues, workers rights and current events that directly affects the lives of the ordinary workers and their families. As the media arm of the ALU-TUCP, the VBC was established to help create awareness among workers on the pressing issues that affects their lives. VBC is also founded on the principle of tripartism – recognizing the vital role of the Government and business as the workers’ social partners and for its vital share in helping realize the dreams and aspirations of the ordinary workers and their families. With this, VIMCONTU dedicates significant airtime for news and current affairs programming catering to policies and issues both in public and private sectors.

With this, the VIMCONTU Broadcasting seeks to pursue its mandate and mission in educating and involving the workers to the most pressing issues of the day and in being the media arm of the ALU-TUCP and of the Philippine labor movement in general. New on politics, crimes, peace and order, religion, sports, calamities and practically all aspects of current affaiors.

It’s AM Station, DYLA has a wide coverage from Central Visayas to Eastern and Western Visayas. The FM Station for its part, the DYWF covers only the city and municipalities of Cebu Province and some parts of the Central Visayas Region and is being operated by Brigada News FM, which the VIMCONTU entered into a co-management contract, specifically to operate and maintain in block time.

(DYLA covers Central Visayas to include Cebu, Central Visayas to include Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental Siquijor; Eastern Visayas to include Southern Leyte, Leyte, Biliran and some parts of Samar provinces; Western Visayas like Negros Occidental, Northern Mindanao provinces including Camiguin, Agusan Areas, Cagayan de Oro, Surigao Areas, Misamis Provinces, Zamboanga Provinces, etc., )

On 01 May 1976, VBC also established an FM station called DYLA-FM, which was renamed to DYWF Smash FM.
VBC is now headed by Michael Mendoza as Chairman and Gerard Seno as President. DYLA has produced several well-known media personalities in Cebu including the late Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, hard-hitting commentator Vic Villordon who was killed by unknown assassin on December 1984, Leo Lastimosa who is now a television personality in Cebu City, among others.
Jhunnex Napallacan is the current General Manager, replacing Jun Tagalog last 01 July 2016. Tagalog however remains as one of the program anchors, in tandem of Napallacan in the longtime commentary program DYLA Interaction. Upon the leadership of Tagalog and Napallacan, the station got the two major awards of the Cebu Archdiocesan Mass Media Awards (CAMMA) – 2015 Best in Radio News program: Balita sa Alas Siete and 2015 Best in Radio News Commentary: Editorial by Jhunnex Napallacan. In 2003, DYLA also won the Best News Program: DYLA BALITA Premier Edition during the 21st CAMMA under the leadership of Jhunnex Napallacan, who was then the news director.
DYLA anchors and reporters include Jun Tagalog, Fred Languido, Rene Borromeo, Le Antojado, Chito Aragon and Dario Gil. The station now has 18 staff, personnel and correspondents, who are all receiving salaries and wages stated under the labor standards.
The station’s Finance Officer is Lina Lauron, Eric Carlos is the Sales director and Cristobal Remonde is the technical director.
The photo below showed the staff and personnel of the station inside the station announcer’s booth, which also showed the two plaques given by CAMMA in relation to the prestigious awards gotten by the station.

Before the existence of social media, DYLA was the most quoted radio station in Cebu in terms of news stories printed in the local newspapers and sometimes in national papers like the Philippine Daily Inquirer because of several personalities interviewed by the station. Photo below shows Sen. Win Gatchalian during his 2016 Senatorial bid.
DYLA was the official carrier-station of the Basilica del Santo Nino for the annual feast of Sr. Santo Nino. The station airs the novena during the different solemn processions like the Walk with Jesus and Walk with Mary, days prior to the feast every January.

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The station is also having a radio program dedicated to labor called “Tingog sa mga Mamumuo”. Every Tuesday, we have guests from the Department of Labor and Employment 7. The ALU spokesman Alan Tanjusay was also able to guest in our program.
DYLA also trains aspiring journalists and engineering students from different schools that include Cebu Normal University, University of San Jose Recoletos, University of San Carlos, CIT-University, Cebu Technological University, St. Theresa’s College and University of the Philippines (UP-Cebu) through the on-the-job-training programs. OJTs are provided hands-on training on news gathering, news writing, broadcasting, as well as on technical and engineering aspects.
DYLA also becomes an instrument in returning lost-and-found items and/ or personal effects.