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Monarch of Philippine Radio:
The Brilliantly Crazy Kuya Chico
By Jenica M. Villanueva and Sheila M. Matibag
If I am not a DJ… no
It took a few minutes of laughter before Kuya Chico could answer the question about what he would be if not a radio DJ. He could not think of other answers since in the past ten years, he did not thought of doing something else but to fulfill his one and only dream—to become a radio DJ.
Somewhere in June 2009, there was this young and conscious Mark Jemel Gales who was nervous to air for the first time. Almost a decade later and you can now tune in every morning listening to a “spontaneous”, “brilliantly crazy”, and “humble” Kuya Chico of 106.7 Energy FM.
Photo from www.facebook.com/KuyaChico1067/
Kuya Chico was previously known as “Chico Loco” of 101.1 Yes FM. According to him, DJ names in Yes FM before follows a theme and during that time, the names of DJs are based on traits.
Asked when did he thought of becoming a DJ, Kuya Chico said it all began when he was in Grade 4. He recalls stumbling upon a DJ who had a very good voice and does something that he found to be very cool—introducing music and talking to callers. This DJ was China Heart who was later on known as DJ Chinapaps of MOR 101.9. Kuya Chico admitted being a fan of music. As a kid, he was fond of switching stations in the cassette player brought home from Saudi by his father, Mang Jaime.
“Grade 5, alam ko na, naka-plano na siya, alam ko na na Mass Communication or any media-related course yung kukunin ko.” From then on, everything he did was in accordance with his dream.
“Gumawa ako ng ingay noon bilang si makulit na Jemel, at ’yun yung pangalan ko talaga.” He travelled from Laguna to Quezon Avenue to visit the radio station, joined competitions, and participated in on air greeting portions.
Photo by Sheila M. Matibag
There are people who thought of Kuya Chico’s dream as something that will eventually change as he grows old, but it did not. Come college, Kuya Chico took Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism in De La Salle University Dasmariñas, Cavite. Having a course which usually leads people to become anchors or reporters, he remembered being told that they are not being trained just to be DJs someday. This was a hurtful comment for him who dreamed of being a DJ all his life. But instead of having less enthusiasm for his dream, Kuya Chico became more determined to prove that he will be heard by many someday.
“When you have a dream, you just hold on to your dream and do something about it. Kasi hindi naman pwedeng mangarap ka lang nang mangarap nang mangarap diyan, kailangan may part ka rin, may effort eh. It’s a continuous effort actually”
Kuya Chico reminded dreamers to not be knocked down by criticisms or discouragement of other people. He shares that to be successful, one should be who he/she really is. For him, being yourself includes sharing who you are to other people since and especially if the talent is already given. By showing your vulnerabilities and being a human who is not perfect and is capable of committing mistakes, or even buckling on air, Kuya Chico said it is more probable that people will want you and moreover, embrace you for who and what you are.
The best thing about being a DJ for Kuya Chico is the ability to influence and touch the lives of other people. He said that it is very heart-warming to read or hear messages from listeners who were able to go through whatever it is they’re struggling with because he was there to entertain and make them laugh.
But Kuya Chico doesn’t want the recovery of his listeners to be attributed to him. For him, being happy is a choice and perhaps, it just so happened that a listener hears him, but the final choice of being happy and not dwelling too much on the problems is actually the decision of a listener. More than leading people to be happy, Kuya Chico finds it extraordinary when he is able to enkindle younger people to be DJ like him.
“I am able to inspire, and touch, and affect, sana possibly, in a positive way ang buhay ng mga tao.”
He said that the cycle should continue, a radio personality will inspire listeners, and the inspired individuals of the next generation will fight for their dreams until they land on one of the few spots in FM radio industry. All because he himself began with dreaming to be like a DJ. Now, he fulfills his dreams everyday while also being an instrument for younger people to draw their dreams. He shares that even though it’s sort of unruly, another secret to success aside from being yourself is to know the rules, master the rules, and sometimes break it. He shares that at one point in the lives of majority, if not all of the DJs, they broke a rule and by doing that, they became famous. He said that to allow growth to happen, one should not just keep on saying “yes” to everything that he/she is being told but also stand firm on what he/she believes to be right.
Kuya Chico envisions the future of Philippine radio as something more exciting. Will radio die soon? This is what he has to say:
“Just like the emergence of social media now, ‘di ba, siguro it’s safe to say na it’s a threat. Pero not that strong to kill radio. ‘Di pa rin. Iba pa rin”
He said that the basic process of communication happens in radio. He added that the kind of interaction that radio provides is the reason why any other media cannot replace it. Radio acts as though a listener has a physically-present friend he/she listens to, someone that can affect him/her and most of all, provide entertainment. Being humble as ever, Kuya Chico jokes, “At saka ano, basta nandito ako, basta buhay pa ako, maganda ang future ng radio.”
“If I’m not a radio DJ, I’ll be a doorknob siguro” this was the first answer of Kuya Chico when asked what he would be if not a radio DJ. He finds it difficult to answer because all his life, he wanted and loved being a DJ—a profession that doesn’t seem to be one at all as compared to other leading professions in the world. A DJ who plays music that people loves to hear, a DJ who enjoys the amazing things that the profession offers, a DJ who talks about anything and make other people’s everyday even more special, and a DJ who inspires people to not just continue life but moreover, create in their minds the life that they want to have in the future.
“If I was not a radio DJ, no,” he laughed and said.
“Paano ko ba sasagutin ‘yan, I was not destined to be in radio, I was born to be in radio. So ‘yun yung sagot ko.”
A lot of people believe in destiny, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But in designing our future, in creating our dreams, may we be inspired by the words of The Monarch of the Philippine Radio; do not just settle for what you were destined to be, mark your own history by being what you are born to be. Brilliantly crazy he is, indeed.
By Sheila M. Matibag
Adamson University is resided in the heart of Manila which is surrounded by historical places such as Intramuros, Rizal Park, and National Museums. Located in the quiet street of San Marcelino, AdU has near diners serving their own style of dishes that bring Adamsonians to a little trip around the globe. Here are the worthy diners to visit around AdU.
