State Censors sitting in the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) were prodded to “exercise prudence” in classifying movies and other contents streamed on Amazon Prime, Netflix and other online video-streaming platforms.
Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian on Monday aired concerns that many Filipinos may “easily access movies with themes showing excessive violence, vulgarity, and sexual content through these video-streaming platforms without proper classification and regulation.”
In a news statement, Gatchalian pointed out that while the MTRCB rates films and TV shows that come out in movie theaters and in television, “now there are new technologies,” like Netflix and Apple TV.
The senator added: “And I know for a fact that there are some apps that also show movies and other shows. So how do you keep up with technology in MTRCB?”
Raising the issue during the Senate committee deliberation on the MTRCB’s proposed 2020 budget, the senator pointed out that “this becomes sort of like a loophole for our regulators to look at,” clarifying that he just wanted “to bring that on the table so that the board can discuss how to transition in today’s 21st-century distribution channel.”
For instance, Gatchalian recalled the case of drama-crime horror movie Eerie now streaming on Netflix, noting that the movie, produced and released by Star Cinema, “touches on the sensitive issue of mental health with the protagonist investigating the death of a student who supposedly committed suicide in her school.”
He aired apprehensions that movies like Eerie may contribute to the romanticization of mental illness, adding that mental health has become a pressing concern in the country.
“Furthermore, there are groups, such as The Youth for Mental Health Coalition, which expressed concern over the recent release of local film Eerie due to its very graphic portrayals of self-harm and suicide.”
“I really think that mental health is a prevailing and an increasing concern in our country,” Gatchalian said. “And it’s now cascading all the way to our schools, all the way to basic education.”
The senator added that “even teenagers are experiencing mental health conditions right now and we don’t want to aggravate the situation by allowing films that can inadvertently create issues on mental health to be easily accessible to the youth without the proper warning to parents or guardians. I just want to make this a conversation in the board.”
At the same time, Gatchalian suggested that the MTRCB should look into including in its criteria for rating and classification the effect of the movie or television content on the mental health of the audience.
The senator also noted in the same statement that MTRCB Chairman Maria Rachel Arenas has admitted she recognizes that the law is silent on whether the board has jurisdiction over the Internet, especially when the law limits them to both movie and television materials.
Moreover, it was pointed out that most of these video-streaming platforms are registered outside the Philippines, making it difficult for the MTRCB to adopt its rating system.
“The difference is, of course, their law is different from us. I think what I understand is they outsource the reviewers which we cannot do. So we told them during our meeting that they should adopt our rating system,” Arenas pointed out, adding, “If we amend the law, maybe we can have more reviewers and allow outsourcing or add to our board members so that we can review all these materials.”
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