Negros Occidental radio veteran ‘Aksyon Fred’ Salanga dies at 77

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Veteran radio broadcaster Fred Salanga has died at age 77, his son said, as journalists in Negros continue to mourn the earlier killing of a local radio “blocktime” commentator.

Salanga, popularly known as “Aksyon Fred” of the Manila Broadcasting Corporation-owned DYEZ Aksyon Radyo, died at around 2:30 am on Monday, March 23, his son, Bacolod Councilor Israel “Ising” Salanga, announced on Facebook.

His death comes days after the killing of radio blocktimer Julito “Jaz” Calo on March 20, which has cast a shadow over the local media community.

Billed as one of the remaining “broadcast titans” in Bacolod and Negros Occidental, Salanga died of lung cancer, an ailment which forced him to stop hosting his daily morning radio program on April 14, 2025.

Also known as Bacolod’s “alarm clock,” Salanga was a familiar voice on the airwaves from 4 am to 6 am, Monday to Saturday. He anchored the program “Aksyon Reports Morning Edition” from 2024 to April 2025, and earlier hosted Aksyong Report’s first and second portions from 1996 to 2004.

Salanga’s broadcasting career began as a drama talent at Radio Mindanao Network’s DYHB Radyo Agong in 1975. He later worked as a reporter at DYRH Radyo Hiligaynon starting in 1981, before becoming an anchorman at DYEZ Aksyon Radyo from 1991 to 2025.

In a statement, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) in Negros Occidental said: “For decades, he served as a beacon of information, integrity, and public service…. His unique delivery and unwavering commitment to the truth earned him the respect of his peers and the deep affection of the listening public.”

Both Aksyon Radyo Bacolod and the KBP-Negros Occidental chapter described Salanga, a Negros Press Club (NPC) Media Excellence Awardee in 2014, as a mentor, patriarch and icon of the local broadcast industry.

Beyond the microphone, his influence was seen in the generation of broadcasters he mentored. Known for guiding homegrown talent, Salanga did not just report the news but taught others to handle it with integrity and courage.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines in Negros Island Region said his passing left “a void that can never be filled, a silence that will echo through the airwaves and lives forever.”

“He was far more than a broadcaster; he was a guardian of truth who poured his whole heart into every word he spoke, a storyteller who carried the pain and hope of those he featured, and a friend who loved us all like family,” part of the group’s statement read.

“For decades, he sat before the microphone not for glory, but because he believed with every beat of his heart that his voice was a sacred gift – to lift the vulnerable, speak for the silenced, and stand unshakable for what is right,” it added.

Veteran radio anchorman Angelino “Jun” Julita of Hapi Radio remembered Salanga as a friendly colleague in the media industry.

“He’s down-to-earth, but funny and candid,” said Julita, who also worked with RMN-DYHB Radyo Agong during Salanga’s early years as a drama talent.

“Bacolod and Negros Occidental will be missing another A-1 broadcaster,” Julita said.

DYEZ Aksyon Radyo station manager Nona Magbanua said Salanga’s remains will lie in state at Saint Peter’s Chapel in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod. Viewing starts on Wednesday night, March 25.

Salanga is survived by his wife, Jocelyn, and his children, including Mark, an ex-officio member of the Negros Press Club. – Rappler.com