They are known for casually making green jokes and getting away with the most exciting (and sometimes erotic) discussions “on air”, to the delight of their amused fans and listeners, especially those caught in early evening traffic or stuck in offices with OT work.
The trio of radio disc jockeys Slick Rick (Eric Virata), Tony Toni (Tony Bueno) and Sam YG (Sam Gogna) have made Magic 89.9’s Boys Night Out (BNO) a legendary radio talk show in the early evening time slot, especially with their crazy antics, uniquely challenging games with celebrity guests, and the most candid opinions about love, sex and anything in between.
So, it was no surprise that the “bad boys of radio” have actively taken on an advocacy that is within their “area of expertise”, yet one that tackles an issue brought about by unprotected sex—HIV infection.
As advocates of Durex Philippines’ “Always Come Prepared”, a campaign geared towards raising awareness on human immunodeficiency virus infection, especially among young adults, the trio have gone out of their way to engage their listeners about the dangers of the virus and what infected people can do to get treatment.
“The HIV/AIDS infection is a global health problem that started decades ago. Yet today, its prevalence is still growing and now affects young Filipino adults. This is what convinced us to help out, especially since we realized the potential impact of us talking to our listeners and fans about this concern,” said Tony Toni.
Latest figures from the HIV/AIDS & Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Registry Data indicate that 31 new HIV infections are diagnosed daily and 1 of every 3 new cases are from 15 to 24-year-old individuals.
Aside from raising awareness about HIV in their radio show, the Boys Night Out trio also visited the Far Eastern University and Lyceum of the Philippines University and partnered with the FEU Central Student Organization and the LPU Manila Central Student Government for a sex education and HIV awareness talk among thousands of students. Known for their antics, the Boys Night Out trio and Durex share the same advocacy to remove the taboo on conversations about sex and HIV to raise awareness about the issue and potentially save lives.