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For almost nine years now, the Amazon jungles of Brazil have been the home of Fr. Ebisa, SVD, a Filipino priest doing missionary work in Northern Brazil.

Serving a parish that covers 160 communities, one of Fr. Bobby's problems is traveling great distances in order to visit each community. And because 47 of these communities are located along the muddy Amazon River, half of the year, these places are practically submerged in water and are almost impossible to reach!

Then, an idea hit him: Why not tap radio's potential for evangelization? After all, Fr. Bobby has the right credentials to initiate a radio program: He has a Masters of Science degree in development communication from UP Los Baqos. The thirtysometing priest also had intensive training in community broadcasting at UP.

"So, I started to plan," Fr. Bobby told this writer during his recent visit to the Philippines. "There was an existing radio station in Para called Radio Ximango. I tapped the station to reach those communities."

The first thing Fr. Bobby did was to convince his four SVD companions regarding the feasibility of producing a radio program. "I'm the only Filipino priest there - the others are from Papua New Guinea, Poland, Ireland and Brazil. They were supportive of my plan from the very start."

But, who would pay for the expensive airtime? Fr. Bobby recalled: "We thought of knocking on the doors of local businessmen. Since most of local businessmen. Since most of them were Catholics, they didn't need much convincing."

Fr. Bobby handpicked six volunteer parishioners and trained them in basic broadcasting. They later made up the show's production team.

In May 2002, "Radio communitarian de Alenquer" or Community Radio of Alenquer went on the air. "It was Mother's Day, and we celebrated the Holy Mass over the radio. This was followed by a magazine program, which I also conceptualized," Fr. Bobby said.

Aired live in Portuguese, a language which Fr. Bobby has mastered over the years, the two-and-a-half-hour program became a venue to learn basic information about nearby communities.

"In this area, there are still places with no electricity. The literacy rate is low. So, I invited the leaders of communities to discuss the history, culture and customs of their respective bailiwicks. It became a hit, and the feedback has been overwhelming."

To ensure a captive audience, Fr. Bobby also tapped a German funding agency to distribute radio sets to those communities. People eagerly tuned in.

"Later on, I thought of replicating the experience in a smaller government station and soon, another program, "Associacao de Radio Communitaria de Alenquer," was launched. This show has a smaller reach, but it has become a popular venue for spreading the word of God."

His parishioner knew that Fr. Bobby is a Filipino, but many of them didn't know exactly where the Philippines was on the map. "I always had to explain that it is very far from Brazil. Some of them would even ask me: "Is it near Chile?" I told them, "No, it's even farther," he laughs.

Indeed, through the potency of the radio medium, and through persistence, Fr. Bobby has already built a community of communities in his parish in Alenquer, Para, Brazil.

It took him nine years to realize his vision of bringing the word of God closer to the people. When he visits a community, he's treated like a star. "Just seeing them smile brings real joy. They may be poor, but they are happy in spirit. I do get homesick at times, but I've also learned to love my life in Brazil," he mused.

May 28, 2005, Ronald Mangubat, Philippine Daily Inquirer

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