THE START of another thrilling year of UAAP college sports comes another season of the radio show for Ateneans, by Ateneans: Halikinu Radio.
Having launched its newest season on July 9, the people behind the show promise to showcase a broader view of all things Ateneo aside from its basketball team, following the theme “the New Blue.”
Executive Producer and Ateneo graduate Ralph Aligada said, “We call it the ‘New Blue’ because we’re going to incorporate everything about Ateneo. So from being something purely basketball, now we’ll feature something new, which is everything else.”
New voices
Included in the roster of its main hosts are sportswriter Rick Olivares and former UAAP courtside reporter Portia Silva. They are joined by fellow Ateneans Mhel Garrido, Chuck Araneta, and Martin David in conducting the different segments of the show.
Aligada said that aside from doing primers and recaps for the different varsity teams, and playing songs by the Ateneo Musician’s Pool, each episode would revolve around a specific theme.
“We [will] invite former Blue Eagles, and for example, we have a Milkmen episode where we invite Larry Fonacier, or a lasenggero (drunk) episode where we invite former Blue Eagles in the San Miguel Beermen team for that episode,” he said.
The show would also include segments that would help educate new Ateneans or those who do not come from the high school and grade school, especially as Ateneo celebrates its sesquicentennial year.
Silva said, “We’re trying to put a little bit more flavor in the show, like trivia about the school or past Atenean personalities. Interesting stuff that people don’t usually know, na ‘ah ganoon pala ‘yun [Oh, it’s like that].”
Signing on
Originally conceptualized by then Blue Babble Battalion Program Head and Blue Eaglets Team Manager Mico Halili, with former Blue Babble President Neil Bernardo, as a fundraiser for the two teams the former handled, the show aired until 2006 maintaining its original format.
It then essentially became a venue where songs from the Ateneo Musicians Pool were aired when its talk show segment was removed in 2007. It went off-air in 2008 until early 2009.
Aligada decided to revive the show to help the Babble members who come from the grade school, high school and college in generating funds for the team’s needs—eventually subsidizing at least five to 20 percent of their tuition fees.
But Halikinu Radio now aims not only to help the Babble, but the whole Ateneo community as well.
“Behind the scenes, we hope to generate funds [but] in the long run, the biggest aim is to really help the Ateneo in general by it becoming Ateneo’s radio show…to become the community’s forum to talk to each other and say what they feel,” Aligada said.
Silva added, “I know [it] will have a great impact especially for the students because it’s all about them–it’s for them…to learn more about not just the sports but the institution that we’re part of.”
Halikinu Radio airs every Thursday, 9:00-10:00pm at NU 107.5.
