IF THERE?S truth to the saying that our morning disposition depends on which side of the bed we wake up, perhaps the same is true for the type of radio programs we listen to.

Early one Monday morning two weeks ago, I tuned in to Radio Veritas (dwRV 846) by chance and found myself drawn to their news show, ?Veritas Pilipinas,? aired Mondays to Fridays from 6 to 8 a.m.

Hosted by the cheerful tandem of Fr. Nono Alfonso S.J. and Penelope Jing Manipol-Lanzona, the program veers away from the usual cut-and-dried practice and has a theme for the day that resource speakers and listeners get to react to, while news tidbits and field reports add to the format?s cohesive structure and relevance.

Serious topic

For example, on the day we tuned in, Alfonso and Lanzona discussed a serious topic: ?What is the role of media in today?s society?? As they read the headlines about the alarming increase in the number of slain journalists, they emphasized the sacrifices made by their colleagues.

On the other hand, Lanzona admitted that not all journalists share the same passion and commitment?some do sloppy work and don?t double-check facts. Then, listeners started sharing their opinions about the media?s watchdog function and ?policing? power which, they said, could be used either for check-and-balance or abuse.

At the end of the program, it was heartening to hear the hosts say that, as media people, they should constantly reexamine themselves and their performance.

Several days after, Fr. Alfonso and Jing discussed another relevant topic: The Expanded Senior Citizens? Act, which understandably drew a lot of comments.

Experts from the Department of Health and Bureau of Internal Revenue were interviewed to enlighten the public about discounts and exemptions from the value added tax, the mandatory PhilHealth coverage, free medical and dental services, stipend for indigents, etc.

More than dispensing technical information and clarifying facts about the salient features of this law, what delighted us was the way the hosts handled the topic and elevated it to a higher level of discussion?about growing old and the inevitability of death.

?Veritas Pilipinas? presents the good side of news stories, and it succeeds in this regard because it refuses to embrace the livid, doom-and-gloom packaging of other news programs.

Moreover, Fr. Alfonso and Ms Lanzona?s ?smiling? voices are contagious, and their sincere intention to inform and serve endears them even more to their listeners.