Latest news with #MTRCB
GMA Network
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Aktor PH, DGPI oppose Senate bill expanding MTRCB's mandate
The League of Filipino Actors (Aktor PH) and the Directors' Guild of the Philippines, Inc. (DGPI) released statements opposing Senate Bill No. 2805, also known as the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Act. The bill, sponsored by Senator Robin Padilla, aims to update the MTRCB's charter by expanding its mandate to include streaming platforms in its regulatory powers. It was approved on third and final reading on Monday. In Aktor PH's statement Friday, it urged Congress to "halt" Senate Bill 2805 and lead a dialogue with the creative industry. Aktor PH chairman, Dingdong Dantes, also shared the statement on his Instagram Stories. "Any legislation that impacts freedom of expression, artistic integrity, and livelihood must be shaped with those who live and work in this space," Aktor PH said. While the group recognized existing provisions that protect creators, it affirmed its belief in "a self-regulating industry, where accountability is upheld from within, and reforms are made in genuine partnership with the community." According to Aktor PH, it supports safeguards against harm and exploitation "but not vague standards or sweeping controls" that risk suppressing voices and opportunities in the creative industry. "We urge our legislators to bring the industry to the table and begin again -- so that any regulatory framework truly protects, not polices, the creative space," Aktor PH said. On Wednesday, the DGPI also released a statement strongly opposing Senate Bill 2805. "In its Declaration of Policy, the proposed law deletes the current law's intentions for self-regulation of the film/TV industries and converts the MTRCB into a parens patriae (parent of the country), concentrating instead on its self-anointed role as guardian of public morals — a narrow reading of the State's protective function as it serves only those who find it convenient to yield their parental guardian duties to the MTRCB,' it said. According to the DGPI, it supports the classification of content to control minors' access and help guide parents on what their children may watch. However, it rejected "the bill's retention of the X--rating which bans exhibition of provocative or unorthodox content to adults who have the right to decide what they should or should not see." The group added that the proposed law "impinges on a struggling local film industry" and "would further destroy content creators' rights to free expression and viewers' rights to free access to expression." The DGPI also reiterated it is against the expansion of the MTRCB's mandate into the online streaming space because this space is considered "a private viewing experience" and not a public exhibition of content. Meanwhile, the MTRCB said on Thursday that it will "defer to the wisdom of our lawmakers" when it comes to Senate Bill 2805. "It is worth noting that the House of Representatives has yet to pass its version of the bill. So, it may continue into the next Congress where it will be subjected to deliberations and further discussions," the board said. According to the MTRCB, the amendments in the bill aim to create "mechanisms for cooperation with online streaming and online curated content providers (OCCs) and streaming videos on-demand (SVOD)." It also underscored that it "does not seek to rate or review" OCCs and SVODs covered by the amendments. "There is no prior constraint or a mandatory review before content is shown. Rather, the measure seeks to ensure that the State is not left helpless in addressing valid concerns and issues such as harmful online contents, particularly materials involving child abuse, exploitation, or voyeurism," said the MTRCB. —CDC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Lala Sotto submits courtesy resignation as MTRCB chief
Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Chair and CEO Diorella Maria "Lala" Sotto-Antonio has submitted her courtesy resignation amid the ongoing Cabinet revamp of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. In a letter dated May 23, Sotto-Antonio said she is stepping down from her post following the President's call, and that her resignation would be effective upon his acceptance or as he deems appropriate. "It has been a profound honor to serve in your administration and to lead the MTRCB in fulfilling its mandate of guiding and safeguarding the content consumed by the Filipino public," Sotto-Antonio said. "I remain grateful for the opportunity to contribute to nation-building through this agency and for the trust you have placed in me during my tenure," she added. Sotto-Antonio is the daughter of returning senator Tito Sotto, who won under the senatorial slate of the Marcos-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas. The elder Sotto is reportedly vying for the Senate presidency in the 20th Congress. A former Quezon City councilor with a career in showbiz, Sotto-Antonio was appointed to the MTRCB post in July 2022 just days after Marcos took office as president of the Republic. Last Thursday, Malacañang announced that Marcos has called for the courtesy resignation of Cabinet secretaries, with the aim to "recalibrate" his administration. Marcos said it was "time to realign government people's expectations" following the conclusion of Eleksyon 2025. The request for courtesy resignations would give the President the elbow room "to evaluate the performance of each department and determine who will continue to serve in line with his administration's recalibrated priorities." Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin had announced that as of Friday afternoon, 52 officials had submitted their courtesy resignations. The MTRCB is an agency under the Office of the President. By virtue of Presidential Decree 1986, the MTRCB has the power to screen, review and examine motion pictures and television programs, including publicity materials such as advertisements, trailers and stills. It may also disapprove or delete portions of such content that are deemed objectionable for being immoral, indecent, unlawful, or injurious to the Republic of the Philippines and its people, among others. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
Tatler Asia
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Unprude and unapologetic: Dr Rica Cruz is making sex education mainstream in a conservative country
Starting a nationwide conversation about sex In 2023, Cruz hosted a television show entitled Private Convos with Doc Rica . 'I'm not a talk show host, I'm a therapist,' she says. 'I was just talking to people about their sex lives. And then I found out MTRCB [the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board] banned my show.' MTRCB monitors the movies and TV shows broadcast in the Philippines, ensuring they reach age-appropriate audiences. 'This was the first time the attacks were not on me, but on the advocacy,' Cruz says. 'I didn't know how to push forward because I felt so alone in the fight.' She was ready to move abroad with her family, restarting her practice there. 'But [journalist and podcaster] Stephanie Zubiri messaged me, saying, 'I'm so angry because this happened to you.' That made me realise I wasn't alone after all.' This laid the groundwork for Unprude, a sexual wellness platform that makes sex education and therapy accessible to people from all walks of life. The app offers personalised, self-paced programmes that include expert insights, reflective activities and comprehensive sex education. It also features games and podcasts to encourage self-reflection and open up conversations about sex and relationships. 'Our goal is to help you decrease sexual shame and embrace your sexual self—on your own terms,' emphasises Cruz. 'We invite people to approach sex from a place of love and respect. Sex is at the core of our being, it influences how we identify, express ourselves and relate to others. That sounds so abstract, but after 11 years, I see how a community that shares these values is coming to life.' More from Tatler: Emer founder Celine Ventalon on why she wants women to switch to menstrual underwear—for their health and for the planet The process of designing the Unprude app The Philippines is a deeply Catholic country, which emphasises values of chastity and modesty, especially for women. But for Cruz, conversations about sex and relationships were in dire need of more nuance and openness. She first designed the Unprude platform to sell products to improve sexual wellness and enjoyment. While this did help to destigmatise toys and the idea of advocating for one's own pleasure, Cruz wanted to do more than that. She realised the value of her area of expertise, which lay more in psychology than manufacturing. To make her teachings more accessible to people, she started brainstorming what would one day become the Unprude app. 'It's not easy to make an app–and it's quite expensive too,' Cruz says. She pitched the idea to a femtech company headed by two women. Upon seeing sex toys on the Unprude e-commerce site, one of the founders shut the idea down. She had a firm background as a church leader, which made her disinclined to pursue the project further. Still, she agreed to meet with Cruz over lunch to give her a chance. Over the meal, she shared her own life struggles. 'I realised this was what I wanted to do, to help people feel less alone in their struggles,' says Cruz. 'Right then and there, she told me, 'Okay, let's do it.' They became my partners that very day.' In an app that generates conversation about sexual activity, there is a tendency for the conversation to go in a crude direction. Now, Cruz and her team are finding ways to find a balance, ensuring that the discussions maintain a sense of respect and maturity. As the app expands to users in other countries, it is more important than ever to foster a supportive, safe environment for all. Mother versus therapist Working behind the scenes on this app has blurred the work-life boundary for Cruz, who is mother to two girls. 'I choose to be a mother before anything else,' she says. Her older daughter was her first-ever student, as she engaged her in age-appropriate conversations about sex and gender from a young age. 'She's handled it very well because there was no malice in the conversation,' Cruz says proudly. The mother-daughter duo has paved the way for more open conversations among Filipino families through a sex ed column on the Smart Parenting website. There, they discuss topics such as teenagers using AI chatbots for sexual discovery, navigating the menstrual cycle, and more. Both Cruz and her daughter answer the questions in their own words, making taboo topics easier to digest and discuss. Aside from that, Cruz is learning how to parent her neurodivergent younger daughter. 'I want to learn how to talk about sex with her. As much as possible, I want to protect her from what I experienced as a child, but I also want her to know how to advocate for herself,' says Cruz. Destigmatising sex education for all Above Dr Rica Cruz, a sex and relationships therapist breaking the stigma around 'taboo' topics in the Philippines For Cruz, it is parents that need to prioritise their sexual well-being, even—and perhaps especially—as they age. This can be particularly challenging for women, who have to unpack decades of misogynistic rhetoric and traumatic experience. 'We want these women to reclaim their sexual selves and to realise there's nothing to be ashamed of,' says Cruz. She also points out that 40 per cent of Unprude's clientele are men. 'They have questions about a wide range of topics and no one to turn to,' she says. 'But they thank me for creating Unprude as it helps them understand themselves and their partners better.' The patriarchy's impact on men is not to be underestimated, especially as younger generations are exposed to more alarming content that objectifies and demonises women on social media. 'Aside from educating [these boys] in schools, the entire community around them at home has to get involved,' she says. 'The group to focus on is the parents. I've taught sex ed in schools, and what happens is when the students get home, their parents shoot the lessons down immediately. The kids are more confused than ever. They turn to pornography or their friends, many of whom don't understand sex any more than they do.' She understands the struggle of parents to open up about such taboo topics. But for those who are willing to see the value in her teachings, she is ready to start the conversation. 'Sometimes, it's just lacking the language and tools to navigate this new stage in parenting,' she says. 'None of these things have been given to them. Sometimes, even I forget that we didn't have this level of access to information during my parents' time. So we have to extend that grace to them, and be patient with them as they undergo the hard work of this journey for themselves.' 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