Tucked in the agricultural heartland of Iloilo, the municipality of New Lucena is known for its thriving markets overflowing with papaya, saging, gulay, and the warm conversations of a close-knit community. Long regarded as a quiet farming town, its fields and fruit stalls had stories to tell—but no platform from which to tell them.

That changed with the emergence of R.A.D.A.R., or Reporters Advocating Data, Awareness, and Responsibility—a youth-led communication and media team powered by Solution Ecosystems Activator (SEA) Inc. What began as a workshop on community journalism became a civic movement, turning students and local residents into grassroots storytellers.

“Before RADAR, we thought news only came from Manila,” one member remarked during a recent interview. “Now we realize it comes from our own kanto.”

Formed through a series of journalism and photojournalism trainings facilitated by SEA Inc., RADAR’s members hail from various barangays in New Lucena. They include college and high school students, as well as young professionals and civic-minded residents like Barangay Secretary Catherine Lacdo-o, who serves as both mentor and motivator.

“Being young isn’t about age,” Lacdo-o shared. “It’s a mindset—and it’s about the eagerness to serve your community.”

At the helm of RADAR is Kurt Reed True, whose leadership and dedication have helped galvanize the team. Under his guidance, the group began experimenting with mobile journalism, digital photography, and video storytelling using tools that were often secondhand, borrowed, or shared.

Their content—often vibrant, local, and emotionally resonant—quickly captured public attention. From school programs and municipal events to lolos dancing during town fiestas and vendors arranging their produce at sunrise, RADAR’s work started documenting the town’s daily life with authenticity and heart.

Over time, RADAR expanded its partnerships. They began working closely with the New Lucena Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWD) to produce newsletters for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines (PYAP). They also collaborated with the Municipal Tourism Office and Information Office to create digital materials that highlight New Lucena’s heritage, milestones, and people.

Their storytelling efforts reached not only local audiences but also gained recognition from OFWs and communities beyond Iloilo. “People from Manila and abroad began commenting on our posts,” said one RADAR member. “It was amazing to hear, ‘Uy, that’s my hometown!’”

New Lucena Mayor Atty. Carl Vincent Mondejar, himself among the younger leaders in Iloilo, praised RADAR’s role in promoting civic awareness and engagement.

“RADAR is more than a media team—it’s a movement,” Mayor Mondejar said. “In a time when social media dominates how we see the world, RADAR shows that we can shape how the world sees us.”

While New Lucena remains rooted in agriculture, its youth are planting a different kind of seed—one of visibility, community pride, and digital innovation. With no formal municipal newsletter in place, RADAR has effectively filled that gap, becoming the town’s unofficial (but widely respected) media unit.

For the members of RADAR, the goal remains simple but powerful: to tell the truth, to tell it well, and to tell it from the ground up.

“You don’t need a press pass to tell the truth,” one member said. “You just need heart, a camera, and a signal.”

From photo essays of morning harvests to videos of community events and youth trainings, RADAR has not only chronicled New Lucena’s stories—they’ve inspired a generation to write their own.

And in a town where fruit and vegetables once dominated the marketplace, it seems storytelling has now joined the harvest.