> RECEIVED.

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Second Regular Session

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.
House Bill No 6818

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Presidential Decree No. 1986, which creates the Movie and the Television Review
and Classification Board (MTRCB), does not authorize the MTRCB to prescribe ratings
for violence in television programming and to promulgate rules for signals containing
specifications for blocking violent programming in apparatuses with such technical
capability. Neither does Republic Act No. 7925, also known as the Public
Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines, provide such measures for broadcast
operations of public communication entities

On several occasions since 1975, the journal of the American Medical Association
has alerted the medical community to the adverse effects of televised violence on child
development, including an increase in the level of aggressive behavior among children
who view it. A report dated May 1993 of the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation in the
United States, reveals that there is an irrefutable connection between the amount of
violence depicted in the television program watched by children and increased
aggression among them.

This bill prescribes television violence rating codes for children and prohibits
violent programming on television during certain hours. For those apparatuses equipped
with technical capability for blocking signals, the bill authorizes the MTRCB and the NTC.
to jointly prescribed rules for transmission

The approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Me

MAXIMO B. RODRIGUEZ, JR.

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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
Second Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

House Bill No 6818

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.”

SEC. 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

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Act:

Cable Operator - any person or group of persons who (a) provides cable service
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;

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 terms 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 | or more multiple units dwelling under
‘common ownership, control management, unless such facility or facilities use 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.

Programming - includes advertisement but does not include newscast, news
interviews, and news documentaries.

Public Telecommunications Entity - any person, firm, partnership or
corporation, government or private, engaged iin the provision of telecommunications
services to the public for compensation.

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

SEC. 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 and 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.

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

SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. Any law, presidential decree, or issuance, executive order,
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule of regulation contrary to or inconsistent with,
the provisions of this Act, is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SEC. 8. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (I5) days after its publication
in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,