MTRCB Rules on PBB 737 Controversy
I don't really watch that much reality show and the last one I saw one was when Sam Milby was at Pinoy Big Brother. I always felt that reality shows in the Philippines is so contrived and that TV network usually just abandoned the winners especially if they won majorly on text votes. Have you noticed that also? And I will not elaborate because my explanations and observations might be labeled judgmental, for lack of better word. It's just so sad to see those contestant trying to do anything just to be famous Kardashian style.
The latest brouhaha on one of the episode of PBB called the attention of MTRCB and here's their official statement on this matter.
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MTRCB
IMPOSES STRICT MEASURES OVER PBB 737 TO ENSURE PROTECTION OF MINOR HOUSEMATES
The Movie and Television Review and
Classification Board (MTRCB) imposed strict measures and closer collaboration
with ABS-CBN Corp. and SkyCable Corporation as a result of the mandatory
conference held Thursday. The conference meant to address various
issues and concerns regarding the protection of the welfare and development of
minor “housemates” in the television program “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) 737” (and as regards other concerns about
self-regulation).
Such issues and concerns
were covered by the Board’s 03 July 2015 letter sent to said entities alleging
complaints or feedback coming from some parents as well as the National Youth
Commission (NYC) in regard to, among others, the cable 24/7 version of the
program and its regular free TV version over Channel 2.
Earlier, the Board also sent
a letter dated 29 June 2015 asking ABS-CBN to attend the 09 July 2015
conference to consider measures on how best to protect minors in regard to the
said program. Serious feedback coming from both the private and public sectors
prompted the Board to incorporate into the mandatory conference consideration
of overall theme and scenes placing minors in situations tending to compromise
their naturally fragile personalities and for the entities concerned to explain
their side.
The conference, handled by
the Board’s Hearing Committee for the purpose – chaired by Board Member
(BM)/Atty. Ricardo Salomon, with members BM Ma. Carmen Musngi and BM Cecilia
Nubla, was attended by ABS-CBN Corporation represented by its various program
executives, namely: Mr. Laurenti M. Dyogi, Head, TV Production Entertainment;
Mr. Jon Moll, Director; Mr. Raymond Dizon, Business Unit Head; Mr. Marcus
Vinuya, Creative Manager; Ms. Cynthia Jordan, Production Manager; Mr. Matthew
Salegumba, Story Editor; Ms. Merce Gonzales, Production Manager; Ms. Marpua
Engking, Head Reasearcher; Ms. Charmaina Estrera, Program Producer; Atty.
Monalisa Manalo, Legal Counsel; Program Executives’ Anna Ilada, Marcella
Panaguiton, JR dela Cerna, Krystel Agnote, Kane Errol Choa, and Rae Ann Ducut;
and Sky Cable Corporation, the program provider on cable television Sky Channel
85, represented by its Ms. Cora Santiago and legal counsel Attys. Agatha
Zapanta-De Jesus and Carmi Tugday.
Also in attendance were
different resource persons who also wrote to the Board their concerns over the
program: Dr. Zandro G. Rapadas of the U.P. College of Mass Communication and
Ms. Arlene S. Lacson.
In addition, various
resource persons were also invited to share their inputs and expertise to help
and guide the Board and the summoned entities to come up with appropriate and
comprehensive self-regulatory and remedial measures to address concerns such as
mature or adult language, huddling close in bed, the lack of adequate adult
supervision, to name some: Hon. Earl P. Saavedra, Commissioner of the National
Youth Commission; Hon. Delia Hernandez, Executive Director of the National
Council for Children’s Television; Hon. Patricia Luna, Executive Director of
the Council for the Welfare of Children; Ms. Irma Valiente, Ms. Norline Jacobo,
and Ms. Maribeth Casib from the Department of Labor and Employment-National
Capital Region; Attys. Ryan Jeremiah Donato Quan and Jamie Ann Reyes of the
Ateneo Human Rights Center; Dra. Georgina Gozo-Oliver of the Philippine Psychiatric
Association; Sr. Ma. Consolata Manding, FSP of the Daughters of Saint Paul; Ms.
Ma. Patricia Boton; Ms. Christine E. Gomez; Director Jose Javier Reyes; and
psychlogist Fr. Filoteo Mangulabnan, S.J.
In an opening message, MTRCB
Chairperson Eugenio Villareal addressed all participants, stating that the
subject matter of the conference is beyond the show PBB 737 but is more
importantly about the welfare and value of children and the family. Chair Toto
also appealed for openness and initiative of all participants as he noted that
we are all formators and educators and that we want our children to be people
with character.
Different issues and
concerns were addressed during the conference especially on the aspect of
cultural sensitivity and how the show addresses the vulnerability of the minor
housemates – which even include a 12 year old boy.
NYC Commissioner Saavedra
addressed concern over the supervisory role of PBB 737’s “resident
psychologist,” especially on the issue of sexual preference as well as the
over-all psychological and moral development of the housemates. On the matter of the program’s targeted young
audience, and citing an NYC report, Comm. Saavedra stressed that the portrayal
of modern identity of Filipino youth is important especially that media has
great impact to young people and that TV is a major source of information.
Resource persons from AHRC,
DOLE and CWC asked if the show has protective mechanisms in place for the
minors and if there are interventions for parents.
Veteran director and
academician Joey Javier Reyes raised concern over the lives of the minor
housemates after PBB especially in regard to stigmas and seemingly bad
reputation that may plagued some housemates as a result of social media.
Director Reyes then stressed the important role of media in protecting the
lives of the children, making the media the new “Babaylan.”
ABS-CBN and PBB responded to
all the issues and concerns raised by the resource persons and were very open
to the suggestions made by the participants. ABS-CBN TV Executive Laurenti
Dyogi told that they are mindful of their responsibility towards the housemates
and have regular assessments of the show and that the housemates are undergoing
regular sessions with the team and their psychologist.
From the long discussions
and careful deliberation, MTRCB will now work closely with PBB 737 until the
end of the show by imposing specific actions and guidelines to ensure that the
welfare of the minor housemates are of utmost importance.
MTRCB has required both the
network and the cable company to institute remedial and self-regulatory
measures to ensure the protection, welfare and development of all participants
of the show. This is also to make sure that housemates will not be engaged in
activities and tasks which may be hazardous to their life and safety.
Relevantly, the management and production team, with legal counsel, were active
in contributing to the remedial measures contained in the order issued at the
end of mandatory conference.
All story
editors are required to undergo a Matalinong
Panonood and audience-sensitivity seminar to be conducted by Chairperson
Villareal on a rotational basis every Thursday at the MTRCB office.
An advisory at
the beginning of each episode must be placed stating the following: “This program may contain sensitive
material. Viewer discretion is advised.” Further, starting July 10, the
classification rating of PBB 737 Gold will now be SPG with at least descriptors
pertaining to “Theme” (T), “Language” (L), and “Sex” (S).
And to address
the needs and vulnerabilities not only of the participants but also the
audience, a comprehensive “closing-out” discussion by a subject-matter expert
after the completion of every task or challenge in regard to the precise
lesson, learning or virtue to be imparted shall be implemented. This is
actually a reiteration of a best practice of policy formulated and tested after
the so-called “Nude Painting” controversy during the last PBB season.
The MTRCB
thanked all participants in the mandatory conference for
their initiative and cooperation. Copy of the PBB 737 order can be read here.
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