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PRESS RELEASE
November 15, 2023
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday encouraged the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to conduct a study on how it can ensure that Filipino values are maintained in digital content.
Cayetano made the statement during the plenary debate on the proposed 2024 budget of the MTRCB.
He stressed that with the widespread use of the Internet, the MTRCB’s role in protecting young viewers from indecent content has decreased.
He encouraged the MTRCB to form a research arm that will study how it can expand its mandate under the law to cover various digital platforms, including Netflix.
“Since nakikita ko sa MTRCB y’ung heart na maging guardian ng values ng ating youth ngayon, let me encourage MTRCB to look at contemporary Filipino values that we can agree on, and [determine] if they (digital platforms) are allowed na kahit ano pwedeng ipakita,” he said.
Cayetano clarified that the aim is not to censor but to ensure that young Filipinos do not consume content that is violent, lewd, or against Filipino morals, especially in today's “much more confusing time” in which illegal drugs, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases have become rampant.
“It’s not more of censorship, but more of giving the young people the right ideas and information, and then they can make their own choices later on,” he said.
He said putting in P10 million to 15 million for the proposed research “will go a long way” in achieving this objective.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who presented to the plenary floor the proposed budget of MTRCB, agreed that the board is operating on “a relatively old law” and therefore “will not be able to address the challenges of the modern times and the digital age.”
“The MTRCB family is listening and I am certain that they will seriously consider the valid suggestions of Senator Cayetano,” Estrada said.
Cayetano said to ensure balanced results, the research should not rely on the personal values of the MTRCB chairperson but rather on the values of Filipino communities.
“We do have to have a standard, and siguro the first standard is the Philippine Constitution, which mentions the Lord Almighty sa preamble pa lang,” he said.
He said the research can also keep the filmmakers updated as to the type of shows that the Filipino public actually wants.
“Hindi totoo na kailangan parating violence at sex para kumita,” he said.###
Cayetano nais itaguyod ng MTRCB ang Filipino values sa digital content
Hinikayat ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Martes ang Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) na magsagawa ng pag-aaral o research kung paano nito matitiyak na napapanatili ang Filipino values sa mga digital content na mapapanood online.
Ipinahayag ito ni Cayetano sa isinagawang plenary debate ng panukalang 2024 budget ng MTRCB nitong November 14, 2023.
Binigyang-diin niya na dahil sa malawakang paggamit ng Internet, nabawasan ang kakayahan ng MTRCB na pangalagaan ang mga kabataang manonood mula sa mga hindi kanais-nais na content.
Hinikayat niya ang MTRCB na bumuo ng isang research arm na magsasaliksik kung paano mapapalawak ang mandato nito sa ilalim ng batas upang masakop ang iba't ibang digital platforms, kabilang ang Netflix.
“Since nakikita ko sa MTRCB y’ung heart na maging guardian ng values ng ating youth ngayon, let me encourage MTRCB to look at contemporary Filipino values that we can agree on, and [determine] if they (digital platforms) are allowed na kahit ano pwedeng ipakita,” aniya.
Nilinaw ni Cayetano na ang layunin ay hindi upang mag-censor kundi upang matiyak na ang mga kabataang Pilipino ay hindi kumokonsumo ng mga palabas na mararahas, mahahalay, o labag sa moral ng mga Pilipino.
Aniya, lalong mahalaga ito ngayong panahon kung kailan laganap na ang ilegal na droga, teenage pregnancy, at sexually transmitted diseases.
“It’s not more of censorship, but more of giving the young people the right ideas and information, and then they can make their own choices later on,” wika ng senador.
Pahayag ni Cayetano, malayo ang mararating ng paglalagay ng P10 milyon hanggang P15 milyon para sa iminungkahing pananaliksik sa pagkamit ng nasabing layunin.
Sumang-ayon si Senador Jinggoy Estrada, na siyang nag-presenta sa plenaryo ng panukalang budget ng MTRCB, na medyo luma na nga ang batas na bumuo sa MTRCB at hindi na angkop sa mga hamon ng modernong panahon at digital age.
"Nakikinig ang pamilya ng MTRCB at sigurado ako na seryoso nilang isasaalang-alang ang mga balidong mungkahi ni Senator Cayetano," pahayag ni Estrada.
Sinabi ni Cayetano na para matiyak na balanse ang lalabas na resulta, ang dapat gamiting basehan ng pananaliksik ay ang values ng sambayanang Pilipino at hindi ang personal na values ng chairperson ng MTRCB.
"We do have to have a standard, and siguro the first standard is the Philippine Constitution, which mentions the Lord Almighty sa preamble pa lang," aniya.
Dagdag ng senador, makakatulong pa nga sa mga filmmaker ang panukalang research dahil magiging updated sila tungkol sa uri ng mga palabas na talagang gusto ng publikong Pilipino.
“Hindi totoo na kailangan parating violence at sex para kumita,” aniya.###
