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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT  
EXPANDING THE REGULATORY JURISDICTION OF THE MOVIE 
AND TELEVISION REVIEW AND CLASSIFICATION BOARD TO 
INCLUDE STREAMING SERVICES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE 
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1986 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
"CREATING THE MOVIE AND TELEVISIONS REVIEW AND 
CLASSIFICATION BOARD" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The unprecedented advancement in communications technology as 
well as the internet has made it possible for the easy and somehow 
unregulated showing, sharing, and streaming of videos, movies, motion 
pictures, programs and any other publicity materials. Much more, the 
COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly limited the movements of people 
and confined them into their homes, has made the demand for motion 
pictures streamed through online platforms exponentially rise to sustain 
the need of people for work, information, and/or entertainment. This 
situation has created a challenge to our existing legal and policy 
framework to regulate the showing of motion pictures to ensure that they 
are not immoral, indecent, contrary to law and/or good custom or injurious 
to the prestige of our country. 
Created by virtue of Presidential Decree (PD) 1986 issued decades 
ago when internet use is not as prevalent as today, the Movie and 
Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) is the government 
March 29, 2023
11:16 pm
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agency tasked to screen, review, censor and regulate all motion pictures 
and publicity materials “for television broadcast or for general viewing, 
imported or produced in the Philippines, and in the latter case, whether 
they be for local viewing or for export.” However, the wordings in PD 1986 
which was issued more than 30 years ago, do not clearly include motion 
pictures streamed through online platforms under the regulatory 
jurisdiction of MTRCB. This issue is raised during the deliberations of the 
budget of the MTRCB for fiscal year 2023 wherein the agency tacitly 
admitted that it has no authority to regulate the proliferation of violent 
and/or pornographic materials shown through online platforms.1 
To address this crucial gap in our existing law, this bill seeks to 
amend PD 1986 by explicitly including motion pictures streamed through 
online platforms under the ambit of MTRCB regulatory powers. In addition, 
the measure requires the posting of the MTRCB certificate or label of 
approval in the motion picture, program or series streamed online. This 
legislative proposal ultimately aims to safeguard the general public, 
particularly the young ones, from being corrupted by materials shown 
through online streaming which are objectionable on the basis of our 
moral and collective sensitivities as a God-ordained nation. 
In view of the foregoing, this Representation seeks the speedy 
approval of this measure. 
EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
1 “MTRCB seeks authority to regulate online streaming services.” Accessed through https://news.abs-
cbn.com/news/09/22/22/mtrcb-seeks-authority-to-regulate-online-streaming-services on September 23, 2022. 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT  
EXPANDING THE REGULATORY JURISDICTION OF THE MOVIE 
AND TELEVISION REVIEW AND CLASSIFICATION BOARD TO 
INCLUDE STREAMING SERVICES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE 
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1986 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
"CREATING THE MOVIE AND TELEVISIONS REVIEW AND 
CLASSIFICATION BOARD" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
1 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
2 
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SECTION 1. Section 3 of Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1986 is 
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hereby amended to read as follows: 
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6 
"SEC. 3 Powers and Functions. The Board shall have the 
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following functions, powers and duties:  
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9 
x x x 
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 b) To screen, review and examine all motion pictures as herein
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defined, television programs, including publicity materials such
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as advertisements, trailers and stills, whether such motion
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pictures and publicity materials be for theatrical or non-theatrical
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distribution, for television broadcast or for general viewing,
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AND/OR STREAMED THROUGH ONLINE PLATFORMS AND
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STREAMING SERVICES imported or produced In the
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Philippines, and in the latter case, whether they be for local 
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viewing or for export; 
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c) To approve or disapprove, delete objectionable portions from 
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and/or prohibit the importation, exportation, production, 
5 
copying, distribution, sale, lease, exhibition [and/or] television 
6 
broadcast, 
AND/OR 
STREAMING 
THROUGH 
ONLINE 
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PLATFORMS AND STREAMING SERVICES of the motion 
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pictures, television programs and publicity materials subject of 
9 
the preceding paragraph, which, in the judgment of the BOARD 
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applying contemporary Filipino cultural values as standard, are 
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objectionable for being immoral, indecent, contrary to law 
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and/or good customs, injurious to the prestige of the Republic 
13 
of the Philippines or its people, or with a dangerous tendency to 
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encourage the commission of violence or of a wrong or crime, 
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such as but not limited to: 
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i) x x x 
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d) To supervise, regulate, and grant, deny or cancel, permits for 
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the importation, exportation, production, copying, distribution, 
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sale, lease, exhibition, [and/or] television broadcast, AND/OR 
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STREAMING 
THROUGH 
ONLINE 
PLATFORMS 
AND 
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STREAMING SERVICES of all motion pictures, television 
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programs and publicity materials, to the end and that no such 
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pictures, programs and materials as are determined by the 
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BOARD to be objectionable in accordance with paragraph (c) 
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hereof shall be imported, exported, produced, copied, 
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reproduced, 
distributed, 
sold, 
leased, 
exhibited 
and/or 
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broadcast by television; 
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x x x 
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h) To deputize representatives from the government and from 
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the various associations in the movie industry, whose main 
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duties shall be to help ensure compliance with all laws relative 
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to the importation, exportation, copying, distribution, sale, lease, 
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exhibition [and/or] television broadcast, AND/OR STREAMING 
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THROUGH 
ONLINE 
PLATFORMS 
AND 
STREAMING 
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SERVICES 
of 
motion 
pictures, 
television 
programs, 
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advertisements and publicity materials. For this purpose, the 
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BOARD may constitute such Regulatory Council or Councils 
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composed of representatives from the government and the 
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movie and television industry as may be appropriate to 
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implement the purposes and objectives of this Act. The BOARD 
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may also call on any law enforcement agency for assistance in 
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the implementation and enforcement of its decisions, orders or 
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awards; 
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x x x " 
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SEC. 2. Section 7 of PD No. 1986 is hereby amended to read as 
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follows:  
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"SEC. 7. Unauthorized Showing or Exhibition.— It shall be 
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unlawful for any person or entity to exhibit or cause to be 
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exhibited in any moviehouse, theater or public place, [and/or] 
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television, within the Philippines any motion picture, television 
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program 
or 
publicity 
material, 
AND/OR 
STREAMING 
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THROUGH 
ONLINE 
PLATFORMS 
AND 
STREAMING 
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SERVICES including trailers, and stills for lobby displays in 
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connection with motion pictures, not duly authorized by the 
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owner or his assignee and passed by the BOARD; or to print or 
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use to be printed on any motion picture to be exhibited in any 
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theater or public place or by television a label or notice showing 
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the same to have been officially passed by the BOARD when 
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the same has not been previously authorized, except motion 
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pictures, television programs or publicity material Imprinted or 
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exhibited by the Philippine Government and/or its departments 
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and agendas, and newsreels." 
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SEC. 3. Section 8 of PD No. 1986 is hereby amended to read as 
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follows:  
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"SEC. 8. Posting or Display of Certificate or Label.—The motion 
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picture exhibitors AND ON DEMAND ONLINE STREAMING 
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SERVICES shall post and/or display the certificate or label of 
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approval of the motion picture by the BOARD, and shall post or 
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display, or cause to be posted or displayed, the said certificate 
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or label at conspicuous places near the entrances to theaters or 
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places of exhibition, AND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 
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MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION PROGRAM OR SERIES, IN 
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CASE OF ON DEMAND ONLINE STREAMING SERVICES, 
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and shall include in all their cinema advertisements 
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announcements stating the classification, as provided in 
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Section 3 (e) hereof, of the motion picture being exhibited or 
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advertised." 
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SEC. 4. Section 10 of PD No. 1986 is hereby amended to insert a 
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new item number 6 and all the other numbers are therefore hereby 
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renumbered accordingly:  
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"SEC. 10. For the purposes of this Act, the following terms 
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shall mean:  
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10 
x x x x 
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6. ON DEMAND ONLINE STREAMING SERVICES — 
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STREAMING 
MEDIA 
SERVICES 
WHICH 
ARE 
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OFFERED DIRECTLY TO AUDIENCES THROUGH THE 
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INTERNET AND/OR SUBSCRIPTIONS. THE VIEWERS 
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OR USERS WILL NEED AN INTERNET CONNECTION 
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TO STREAM OR DOWNLOAD VIDEO CONTENT.” 
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SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within ninety (90) 
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days from effectivity of this Act, the MTRCB in collaboration with the 
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concerned agencies and stakeholders, shall promulgate the rules and 
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regulations to effectively implement the provisions of this Act. 
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SEC. 6. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason, any provision of 
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this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions 
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hereof which are not affected shall continue to be In full force and effect. 
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SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
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regulations or portions thereof, inconsistent with this Act are hereby 
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repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 8. Effectivity. —This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
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following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least one 
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(1) national newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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