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The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (Filipino: Lupon sa Pagrerepaso at Pag-uuri ng Sine at Telebisyon; abbreviated MTRCB) is a Philippine government agency responsible for rating and reviewing television programs, movies and home videos.

The board[link]

The chairman, the vice-chairman and the other 30 board members compose the board. Each one holds office for a term of one year but may be reappointed after the expiration of their term. Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares is the incumbent chairman of the board. She is the daughter of the late Fernando Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces.^[2]

Differences with other foreign boards[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Unlike other organizations worldwide, the board does not rate video games. This is due to the fact that the Philippines does not produce video games (other than titles from studios such as Anino Games), since most video games are imported, with almost all of it coming from the United States. Because of that, ratings from the ESRB is the de facto system used in the Philippines, but legal restrictions (such as prohibition of sales of M-rated and higher games to minors) usually do not apply, although certain software vendors ask for a valid ID or any other verification when selling those games. The board also does not rate literature, unlike some other organizations.

The board is also known to rate films differently from other organizations, examples of which are the Harry Potter film series, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Batman Begins, Spider-Man, and The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which, despite the graphic and potentially disturbing content depicted in the films, were given a rating of G, despite other countries who imposed a PG-13 rating, and The Da Vinci Code, which received a R-18 rating, while other countries gave it lower ratings.

Ratings[link]

Movies[link]

There are 5 different ratings the board utilizes for movies. These are:

There are pictograms for each rating, however they only appear on major newspapers.

Television[link]

The MTRCB has implemented a television content rating system way back since November 1, 1995^{[citation needed]}. Historically, there were only two television ratings used.

The old graphic that was implemented from November 1, 1995^{[citation needed]} to October 5, 2011 consists of a static Parental Guidance or PG digital on-screen graphic (DOG) or text that appeared at the upper left or at the bottom right of the screen during a program if it was rated as such. If there is no graphic, it is understood that a show is rated General Patronage (or GP).

However, on October 6, 2011, in order to encourage parents to supervise and be responsible with their children in watching television, one additional television rating was added, increasing the latter to three. These are: ^[3][4][5]

The new system were supposed to be composed of G, PG, SPG, and M, however, the M rating was changed to X.

The revised G and PG ratings were implemented on October 6, 2011, while the SPG rating was implemented on February 9, 2012.^[9] The SPG rating carries 6 sub-ratings.

TV5 programs with SPG-TL, such as Face To Face, always mute bad language with a test card sound.

The new system consists a new standardized, 10-second full-screen advisory of the program's rating, unlike the SPG rating the advisory contains 20 seconds and is shown strictly before a program. The advisories are available at 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. A DOG then appears at the bottom right of the screen during a program if it was rated as such. For the SPG rating, the DOG also indicate program's content descriptor.

The full screen advisory is regularly aired before the program, unlike in the case of the SPG rating that the rating must be aired at least twice during a program's runtime: before and in the middle of the program.^[10]

All programmes shown by the television channels are reviewed and classified by the said board. The board may suspend or cancel programmes, but not to remove broadcast licenses. Only news programs are exempt from ratings, but informational and public affairs programmes do.

Adoptions[link]

Not all television networks in the Philippines adopted the new rating system before the given deadline (see below):

• ABS-CBN, Studio 23 and PTV 4 on October 6.
• UNTV on October 7.
• GMA Network and GMA News TV on October 10.
• TV5, AksyonTV, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation on October 11.
• Net 25 on October 12.
• ZOE Broadcasting Network (Light TV) on October 14.
• RPN (ETC), RJTV (2nd Avenue), and SBN (Talk TV) on October 26
• BEAM TV (The Game Channel) on October 30 and (Chase) on December 24.
• SMNI on January 26, 2012.
• GEM TV on April 12, 2012.

The board gave a deadline of until October 31, 2011 for the other national, local, cable, and satellite television networks to switch onto the new graphic.

myx, a cable television network affiliated with ABS-CBN, originally adopted the blue PG graphic on October 6 for the majority of their programs, but reverted back to the static Parental Guidance DOG only two weeks after, only in showing music videos with graphic content. This was due to the fact that it may be hard to place the PG DOG while a music video is played along with the lyrics being shown at the same time. The ABS-CBN News Channel also added the blue 'PG', green 'G' and red 'SPG' graphic at the same time as its mother network, but is only applied to its public affairs programs which also air on ABS-CBN. Among local cable networks, only Balls, Knowledge Channel, Hero TV, Solar Sports. Jack TV and Lifestyle Network continue to adopt the old static 'Parental Guidance' graphic on their programs.

Design[link]

Originally, The static Parental Guidance graphic has used various typefaces with white colored text for the programs aired for all stations. Upon the revision of the Graphics, the font style was changed to Arial Black inside the Pictogram (depending upon the ratings), Arial for Content Descriptors with red box under the SPG rating and Arial Narrow for Text Advisory. Some channels with larger SPG pictogram, the font size of the content descriptors goes smaller with smaller boxes. The rating may put in bottom-right or top-left, depending on putting annotations. When the show is now in the credits or 10 seconds before the commercial break, the pictogram and DOG is removed.

Use of the X rating[link]

A movie shall be disapproved for public viewing if, in the judgment of the board:

• The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the dominant theme of the work as a whole appeals to prurient interest and satisfies only the craving for gratuitous sex and/or violence.
• The work depicts in a patently lewd, offensive, or demeaning manner, excretory functions and sexual conduct such as sexual intercourse, masturbation and exhibition of the genitals.
• The work clearly constitutes an attack against any race, creed or religion.
• The work condones or encourages the use of illegal drugs and substances.
• The work tends to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or duly constituted authorities.
• The work glorifies criminals or condones crimes.
• The work is libelous or defamatory to the good name and reputation of any person, whether living or dead.

A movie or television program that receives an X rating may not be shown in Philippine theaters or television, or in any form of public exhibition.

A much publicized use of the X rating by the MTRCB was the issuance of such rating to a documentary film portraying the life of former Philippine president Joseph Estrada in 2006. Certain portions of the film, especially the portions with regard to the 2001 EDSA Revolution, were deemed by the MTRCB to be inciting political rebellion, a charge denied by the producers of the documentary.

Suspension of other shows[link]

Local content[link]

Not only does MTRCB rates shows and films, they can also suspend a certain show for a few days to a few months depending on the violation. The following are the notable, scandalous events that earned shows a suspension.

• The Eda Nolan scandal on Wowowee, which happened on May 12, 2007, earned the show a 3-day suspension.
• The controversial suspension of a documentary program i-Witness after showing a unique ritual dance from Laguna "The Lukayo"
• The month-long suspension of Showtime due to a inappropriate comment of one of its judge to the Filipino teachers.
• Willing Willie received a month-long suspension after a child named Jan-Jan danced while crying in front of the audience and live on television.
• The 20-day suspension of T3: Kapatid Sagot Kita, as a result of the hosts Ben, Erwin and Raffy Tulfo's harsh, vengeful verbal responses at actors Raymart Santiago and Claudine Baretto live on the program, regarding a brawl between their brother Ramon and the couple. TV5 has questioned the board's suspension of the program, stating that the action was heavy-handed and called it an act of censorship.^[11]
• On May 30, 2012 the MTRCB implemented a THREE-MONTH SUSPENSION in T3: Kapatid Sagot Kita in the same issue of hrash, vengeful verbal responses on Santiago's. It will be implemented on May 31, 2012- August 31, 2012 without any cancellation of suspension in such order, while TV 5 will appeal the case to the Court of Appeals.Still MTRCB has the jurisdiction om the program and not been considered as a news program. Since a verbal advisory is said before the program which news programs does not have. After the suspension the program will be still under probation or per-episode permit until the board is convinced. MTRCB Chairman Mary Grace Poe- Llemanzares said that MTRCB has the full jurisdiction in the program.

International content[link]

• The TV-channel TVE Internacional's broadcast was suspended by the MTRCB because of sexual content. It was only unclear if the broadcast had been stopped only by SkyCable or all of the cable companies nationwide.
• The HBO mini-series Entourage was blocked for 3 weeks on SkyCable because it has not yet been reviewed by the MTRCB. But on other cable operators, the series was broadcast without any interruption.

Radio[link]

The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP; English: Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines), an association unrelated to the government, governs censorship on radio, although it can only reprimand its own members. A network currently not a member of the KBP is GMA Network, who is a former member.

Home videos[link]

The Optical Media Board formerly governed censorship on it, but MTRCB taken the authority of the home videos.

See also[link]

• Television content rating systems
• Motion picture rating system
• Politics of the Philippines

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
• Official website of the Optical Media Board
• Official website of the Association of the Philippine Broadcasters