Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City “Ss aN

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No._ 2666

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO.

AN ACT
LIMITING EXPOSURE OF CHILDREN TO VIOLENT PROGRAMMING ON
TELEVISION AND CABLE SYSTEMS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The creation of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
(MTRCB) in 1985 under P.D. 1986 was an initial step in reviewing and censoring films
or television programs to improve, upgrade and make viable the industry as a source of
fueling the national economy. But it does not authorize the MTRCB to prescribe ratings
for violence in television programming and rules for signals containing specifications for
blocking violent programming in apparatuses with such technical capability. In 1995,
R.A. 7925, also known as the Public Telecommunication Policy Act of the Philippines,
was enacted into law but it also failed to give such authority to the National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for broadcast operations of public
communications entities.

The Journal of the American Medical Association in many occasions since 1975
has alerted the medical community on the adverse effects of televised violence on child
development such as the increase in the level of aggressive behavior among children.
A report dated May 1993 of the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation in the United
States revealed that there was an irrefutable connection between the amount of
violence in television programs viewed by children and increased aggression among
them.


This bill, therefore, prescribes television violence rating codes for children and
prohibits violent programming on television during certain hours. For those apparatuses

capable of blocking signals, the bill authorizes the MTRCB and the NTC to jointly
prescribe rules for transmission

In view of the foregoing, we therefore urge our colleagues to ensure the
immediate passage of this proposed bill into law.

4
DIOSDADO A, ARROYO GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

Second District, Camarines Sur Second District, Pampanga



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 2666

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACT
LIMITING EXPOSURE OF CHILDREN TO VIOLENT PROGRAMMING ON
TELEVISION AND CABLE SYSTEMS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Children's Media
Protection Act of 2013."

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the state to protect the
welfare of children by limiting their exposure to violent programming on television and
cable systems.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act:

1) Cable Operator - any person or group of persons:

(a) who provides cable services over a cable system and directly or
through one or more affiliates owns a significant interest in such cable
system, or

(b) who otherwise controls or is responsible for, through any arrangement
the management and operation of such a cable system;


2) Cable System — any facility consisting of a set of closed transmission paths
and associated signal generation, reception, and control equipment that is
designed to provide cable service which includes video programming and which
is provided to multiple subscribers within a community, but such term does not
include -

(a) a facility that serves only to retransmit the television signals of 1 or
more television broadcast stations;

(b) a facility that serves only subscribers in 1 or more multiple unit
dwellings under common ownership control or management, unless such
facility or facilities uses any public right-of way;

(c) a facility of a common carrier, except to the extent such facility is used
in the transmission of video programming directly to subscribers; or

(d) any facility of any electric utility used solely for operating its electric
utility system.

3) Programming — includes advertisements but does not include newscasts,
news interviews, and news documentaries.

4) Public telecommunications entity — any person, firm, partnership or
corporation, government or private, engaged in the provision of
telecommunications services to the public for compensation.

SECTION 4. Establishment of Television Violence Rating Code. — The Movie and
Television and Classification Board (MTRCB) and the National Telecommunications
Commission (NTC) shall, jointly prescribe, in consultation with television broadcasters,
cable operators, concerned non-government organizations for children, and interested
individuals from the private sector, rules for rating the level of violence in television
programming including rules for the transmission by television broadcast systems and
cable systems of signals containing specifications for blocking violent programming

SECTION 5. Elimination of Violent Programming on Television During Certain
Hours. - The MTRCB and the NTC shall, within 30 days from the effectivity of this Act,
pass rules and regulations prohibiting the broadcast on commercial television ad public
telecommunications entities, including the broadcast by cable operators from, 6:00 a.m
to 10:00 p.m. inclusive, of programming that contains very violent scenes for children in
accordance with the rating code established pursuant to the preceding paragraph.

SECTION 6. Separability Clause. — If any provision, or part hereof, is invalid or
unconstitutional the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid and subsisting.


SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree, or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to

or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act, is hereby repealed, modified or amended
accordingly.

SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,