Wika, Awit, Radyo, at Pananakop

EPAPC’s fourth and final film, “Wika, Awit, Radyo, at Pananakop,” written by Elizabeth L Enriquez, PhD from the University of the Philippines Diliman, and directed by Maps Arciga, will be screened from 3 to 5pm at Escaler Hall.

The animated documentary illustrates the emergence of radio in the country during the American colonial period in the first half of the 20th century until the decade following World War II and the Philippine Independence.

Broadcasting was part of the American strategy to reshape the consciousness of Filipinos in the American cultural mold. During World War II, Japan replaced the United States as the new colonizers of the Philippines and attempted to purge America from Filipino consciousness. After the war, broadcasting spread throughout the country. The English language and popular music from the United States were back on the air. But so were Tagalog and other Filipino languages as new radio stations began operating in the provinces. Filipino singers and musicians performing on the air attained fame especially when the local music recording industry took off.

The English language and western music continue to be a big part of local broadcasting, but Filipino languages and music, in all the forms they have evolved into, persist in connecting with Filipino audiences.