Repubiic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

5103

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

——S— Se

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 of 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 bil! 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 faw.

DIOSDADO M. A ARROYO GLORIAMACAPAGAL ARROYO
Second District, Camarines Sur id District, Pampanga


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House BillNo.__5103

Introduced by Representatives
DIGSDADO 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 shal! be known as the “Children’s
Media Protection Act of 2011."

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

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

4) 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 contsol 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 muttiple 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

(@) 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 taw 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 generat circulation.

Approved,