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NINETEENTH CONGRESS   )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES    )
First Regular session                           )
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES              I    '&.
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.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS   )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES    )
First Regular session                           )
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
IntToducod by R®pres®ntatl`r® Rufus a. Rodrigu®z
House Bill No. 535 0
AN ACT
LIMITING  EXPOSURE  OF  CHILDREN  TO  VIOLENT  PROGRAMMING  ON  TELEVISION
AND CABLE SYSTEMS
Be it ep?ct.ed  by the Senate and  House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SEcr/ON 1.  Short Ti.f/e.  - This Act shall  be known  as the "Children's Media  Protection
Act.„
SEC. 2. Dec/arafr-on of po//.cy. -lt 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 th'is 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   I  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 in the provision of telecommunications services to the public
for compensation.
S_Ee. 4. Establishment of Television Violence Rating Code. -The Mov.ie and Telev.is.ion
Review    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 the transmission by television broadcast systems and cable
systems of signals containing specifications for blocking violent programming.
SE_C_-_5= Eliprir\ati_PP _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.in.  to


10:00   p.in.   inclusive,   of  programming  that  contains  very  violent  scenes  for  children   in
accordance with the rating code established pursuant to the preceding paragraph.
SEC.    6.    Sepairab/.//-fy   C/ause.    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. Rapea//.ng C/ause. 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.  Effect/-y/.fy C/ause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,