Barangay LS: Your ‘crazy fun’ buddies on air

Through the years, radio has remained a part of the Filipinos’ everyday life. It has become a daily companion and a source of conversation, whether you’re on the road, at work or at home.

And on Barangay LS 97.1, GMA Network’s flagship FM radio station, the audience is not just invited to be listeners — they become part of the conversation.

Kabarangays get the spotlight on its banner programs — Potpot & Friends, Talk To Papa, Barangay Love Stories and Wanted Sweetheart.

The conversation begins with Potpot & Friends, where hosts Papa Jepoy and Papa Bodjie liven up the morning through random calls to households, stores or offices to invite people to tune in to the station.

“Nagsimula yun katuwaan lang eh. I-ni-invite namin yung listener isa-isa, na buksan ang radyo nila at ilagay sa 97.1,” says Jepoy on how the practice of calling random people came about. “Nasanay ang mga tao na lagi sila yung tumatawag sa istasyon. So, naisip namin, kami naman,” adds Bodjie.

Described as “ambush comedy,” spontaneity and humor are the strengths of the program, where the calls determine the direction of the conversation. “Wala kasi kaming script,” Jepoy explains. “Depende na sa caller.”

“Hindi namin pina-plan, pero gusto naming magpatawa. Try to imagine yourself, nasa comedy bar ka. Bigla na lang dadating yung funny moments,” furthers Bodjie.

Likewise, the hosts of Talk to Papa let their callers set the tone on their program. “Ang talagang style ng programming niya ay interactive,” shares Kiko. “Yung caller talaga yung mag-di-dictate ng mangyayari sa programa.”

The show is an advice program where the hosts entertain calls and posts on the show’s social media accounts about their listeners’ problems.

With Talk To Papa, listeners get a balanced mix of fun and advice that sets them apart from other programs of the same format. “Yung ibang advice programs na naririnig natin, talagang nag-si-stick sila sa advice eh, puro seryoso. Yung sa amin balanced. Kumbaga nagseseryoso ka habang kinakausap mo yung caller, pero pwede mong singitan ng katatawanan,” says Obet.

In Barangay Love Stories, the listeners’ real-life stories take center stage as its host Papa Dudut reads their letters on air.

“Barangay Love Stories is very Pinoy. Ang Pilipino ay very sentimental,” muses Dudut. “’Pag nakikinig sila ng Love Stories, naaalala nila nung na in-love sila, nung na heart-broken sila. But it’s not only romantic stories, I also do stories for families, for best friends.”

Since the show’s conception in 2009, Barangay Love Stories has brought to life the stories of countless individuals wanting to share their experiences.

As its host, Dudut is also challenged to give justice to these personal anecdotes. He also acknowledges that these stories are a way of relating life lessons to his other listeners. “Radio, for me, is an art,” shares Dudut. “Kailangan ’pag narinig mo sa radyo ang isang kataga, isang linya, magmamarka sa puso ng nakikinig.”

“Companion talaga yung role ng radio because you belong to a certain group and you don’t feel alone,” says Wanted Sweetheart host Papa Dan as he explains the benefits of an interactive format. “Masaya ’pag feeling mo may kausap ka eh.”

Wanted Sweetheart is an original late-night dating and matchmaking show. “We decided to make it different from the usual love advice, which was the culture of nighttime programming at the time,” recalls Dan. “We wanted to go against the flow and keep it fun.”

The show has separate lines for male and female callers hoping to meet their match on-air. Callers are paired at random with Dan playing matchmaker and facilitating the conversation between the two.

“The show has a crazy fun feel,” he says of the program. Indeed, crazy is the brand of fun that the station espouses through its hosts and programs.

“Yung fun nung show is wala kaming script. So, I always get something funny from the callers,” he adds.

Over the years, the show has built a steady following because as Dan explains, “It is a hit until now because when I talk to them, I don’t make them feel like they’re just listeners and they’re just listening to the DJ — I make them part of the conversation.”

With Barangay LS’ nationwide rebranding campaign launched early this year, more kabarangay are invited to take part in the conversation as local versions of these popular Manila programs are now part of the programming in each of Radio GMA’s regional FM stations across the country.

Tune in to Potpot & Friends on Barangay LS 97.1 from 6 a.m. to  9 a.m. Mondays to Fridays; Talk to Papa from 12 noon to 3 p.m., Mondays to Saturdays; Wanted Sweetheart from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.,  Mondays to Fridays; and Barangay Love Stories, 12 noon to 3 p.m., Sundays.