Dominican Republic Awards Radio Show for Sharing Adventist Health Message

By Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division

A Seventh-day Adventist Church radio station has received a national award from the government of the Dominican Republic for its positive contributions to health on the Caribbean island nation.

The National Medical Award, an annual recognition granted to doctors and institutions that assist society, is the first honor garnered by the church’s Radio Amanecer for its popular daily program “Let’s Restore the Family.”

“‘Let’s Restore the Family’ is distinguished for its contribution to moral and spiritual values that emotionally heal families and are required to rebuild our society,” said Sergio Solís Taveras, director of the government’s National Medical Award, as he presented the award last month.

The 60-minute morning show consists of a panel of family therapists who speak on issues affecting the modern family and take live questions on the telephone and social media from listeners.

The program, which is broadcast Monday through Friday from 9 to 10 a.m., has been broadcast for 10 years.

Miqueas Fortunato, director of Radio Amenecer, said the recognition means a lot to the station and the church.

“God wants to see families restored, and the fact that Radio Amanecer has been recognized by a scientific community like this commits us to continue spreading the principles that God designed for the family,” Fortunato said.

Radio Amanecer has been airing for 33 years on the island, reaching 85 percent of the population with an estimated 7.9 million listeners. The station has run an FM station for four years and was ranked by Gallup in its most recent survey as the fifth-most popular radio station in the Dominican Republic.

For more information about Radio Amanecer’s programs (98.1 FM station), visit radioamanecer.org.