/ 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
First Regular Session 
Republic of the Philippines 
Introduced by SENATOR LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Presidential Decree No. 1986 which creates the Movie and Television Review and 
Classification Board (MTRCB) does not authorize it to prescribe ratings for violence in 
television programming and 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, give such authority to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) 
for broadcast operations of public communications 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 irreftitable 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, lewd, or obscene programming on televisions during certain hours. For those 
apparatuses equipped with technical capability for bloclting signals, the bill autliorizes the 
MTRCB and the NTC to jointly prescribe rules for transmission. 
In view hereof, the early passage of this bill is highly recommended. 
LUISA “LOI” 4 EJERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


4 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
Introduced by SENATOR LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
LIMITING EXPOSURE OF CHILDREN TO VIOLENT, LEWD OR OBSCENE 
PROGRAMMING ON TELEVISION AND CABLE SYSTEMS 
Be it enacted bj) the Senate arid the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress asseinhled: 
Section 1: Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Children’s Media 
Protect ion Act.” 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect the 
welfare of children by limiting their exposure to violent, lewd or obscene programming 
on television and cable systems. 
Section 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act: 
(A) 
Cable Operator means any person or group of persons who (a) provides 
cable service over a cable system and directly or through one or more 
affiliates owiis a significant interest in such cable system or (b) who 
otheiwise controls or is responsible for through any arrangement the 
management and operation of such a cable system; 
(B) 
Cable System means any facility consisting of a set of closed transmission 
paths and associated signal generation, reception and coiitrol equipment 
that is designed to provide cable service which includes video 
prograinniing and which is provided to multiple subscribers within a 
coininunity but such term does not include (a) a facility that serves only’to 
retransmit the television signals of one (I) or more television broadcast 
stations; (b) a facility that serves only subscribers in one (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 coimnon 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 advertisements but does not include newscasts, 
news interviews and news documentaries. 
Public Telecommunications Entity means any person, firm, partnership or 
corporation, government or private, engaged in the provision of 
telecoiiimunicatioiis 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, lewd or obscene 
programming. 
Section 5. Elimination of Violent and Immoral Programming on Television 
During Certain Hours. - The MTRCB and the NTC shall within thirty (30) days from 
the effectivity of this Act, proinulgate rules and regulations prohibiting the broadcast on 
commercial television and public telecommunication entities including the broadcast by 
cable operators from 6:OO a.m. to 1O:OO p.m. inclusive of programming that contains very 
violent, lewd or obscene 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, nile 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. 
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