THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
P.D. 1986 which creates the Movie and the Television Review and Classification 
Board (MTRCB) does not authorized 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 R.A. 7925, 
also known as the Public Telecommunications Commissions (NTC) 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 behqvior 
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 prohi bits 
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. 
J 
TO ESTRADA 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLtC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
S E N A T E  
s. B. No. 
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada 
AN ACT 
LIMITING EXPOSURE OF CHlLDREN TO VIOLENT 
PROGRAMMING ON TELEVISION AND CABLE SYSTEMS 
Ips- 
8e it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Section I. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Children’s Media 
Protection Act.” 
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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 Purpose 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 (bf 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 proyide cable service which includes video programming and which 
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is provided to multiple 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 I 
or more multiple unit dwelling under common ownership, control 
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. 
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 in 
the 
provision 
of 
telecommunications services tot he public for compensation. 
Section 4. 
Establishment of Television Violence Rafing Code. - The 
Movie and, -Television and Classification Board (MTRCB) and the National 
Telecommunications Commission (NTS) shall, jointly prescribed, in consultation with 
television broadcasters, cable operators, concerned non-government organizations for 
children and interested individuals from the private sector, rules for the transmission by 
television broadcast systems and cable systems of signafs 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 
and public telecommunications entities, including the broadcast by cable operators, 
from 6:OO a.m. to 1O:OO p.m. inclusive, of programming that contains very violent scenes 
for children in accordance with the rating code established pursuant tot he preceding 
paragraph. 
Section 6. 
Separabilify Clause. If any provision, or part hereof, is valid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 


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Section 7. 
Repeahg Clause. Any law, presidential decree, or issuance, 
executive order fetter of instruction, administrative order, rule of regufation contrary to or 
inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act, is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
according I y . 
Section 8. 
Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (I 
5) days after 
its publication in at feast two (2) Newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved. 
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