Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
Philippine government agency for classification of programs and movies From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philippine government agency for classification of programs and movies From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (Filipino: Lupon sa Rebyu at Klasipikasyon ng Pelikula at Telebisyon;[1] abbreviated as MTRCB) is a Philippine government agency under the Office of the President of the Philippines that is responsible for the classification and review of television programs, motion pictures and home videos.
| Lupon sa Rebyu at Klasipikasyon ng Pelikula at Telebisyon | |
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 5, 1985 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Type | Film and television classification |
| Headquarters | 18 MTRCB Building, Timog Avenue, Quezon City, 1103, Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Motto | Filipino: "Para sa Matalino at Responsableng Panonood" (transl. For intelligent and responsible viewing) |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Office of the President of the Philippines |
| Website | mtrcb |
Unlike other organizations worldwide (such as the BBFC), the Board does not rate video games. Thus, both the ESRB system used in the United States, and IARC system are the de facto rating systems used in the Philippines, although there have been attempts at formulating an independent local rating system.[2] Certain video game vendors ask for a valid ID or any other verification to be able to buy M- and AO-rated games. The Board also does not rate literature.[3]
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board also serves as a de facto censorship body.[4]
The MTRCB was initially created as the Board of Censors for Motion Pictures by virtue of Republic Act 3060 signed by President Carlos P. Garcia in 1961 and directly subordinate to the Office of the President.[5] Over the years, its name and powers were changed and expanded by succeeding administrations. In 1980, as part of Executive Order No. 585 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos during the Martial Law, the Board was reconstituted to include senior officials of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Information and the National Intelligence and Security Authority (NISA).[6] To reflect the rising influence of television in the Philippines, the agency was renamed into the Board of Review for Motion Pictures and Television by virtue of Executive Order No. 745 issued by Marcos in 1981.[7] In 1983, its scope was expanded to include live entertainment, and as such the Board was renamed by Marcos into the Board of Review for Motion Pictures, Television and Live Entertainment by virtue of Executive Order No. 868. Controversially, it was also given the power to bar any film deemed "subversive" in content and "undermining faith in the government"[8]
Ultimately, the economic and political crisis of the 1980s led the Marcos regime to abolish the board and replace it with the current Movie and Television Review and Classification Board in 1985 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1986.[9] After the fall of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, the Board was reconstituted to remove defense and security officials and reduce its composition to civilian personnel, though the ban on subversive material remains. In the 1990s, an Appeals Committee was created to allow appeal and reversals of the MTRCB's decisions.[10]
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. Diorella Maria Sotto-Antonio has been the board chairman since July 7, 2022.[11]
| Name | Term | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|
| Chairmen of the Board of Censors for Motion Pictures | ||
| Guillermo de Vega | 1969–1975 | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Ma. Rocio Atienza de Vega | 1975–1981 | |
| Maria Kalaw Katigbak | 1981–1985 | |
| Chairmen of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board | ||
| Manuel Morato | 1986–1992 | Corazon Aquino |
| Henrietta Silos Mendez | 1992–1995 | Fidel V. Ramos |
| Jesus C. Sison | 1995–1998 | |
| Armida Siguion-Reyna | 1998–2001 | Joseph Estrada |
| Nicanor Tiongson | 2001 (acting) | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| Alejandro Roces | 2001–2002 | |
| Marilen Ysmael-Dinglasan | 2002 (acting) | |
| Dennis G. Manicad | 2002–2003 | |
| Ma. Consoliza "Marissa" Laguardia | 2003–2010 | |
| Grace Poe | 2010–2012 | Benigno Aquino III |
| Emmanuel Borlaza | 2012 (acting) | |
| Eugenio "Toto" H. Villareal | 2012–2017 | |
| Maria Rachel Arenas | 2017–2021 | Rodrigo Duterte |
| Jeremiah P. Jaro | 2021–2022 | |
| Jose "Johnny" Revilla[12][13] | 2022 | Bongbong Marcos |
| Diorella Maria Sotto-Antonio | 2022–present | |
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2021) |
While the MTRCB primarily rates most films released in commercial cinemas, independent and art-house films released in the Philippines are not rated by the MTRCB themselves. Instead, they are rated through the Film Development Council of the Philippines and the Film Cultural Exchange Program (FCEP) through the FDCP rating system pursuant to the agreed-upon guidelines by the FDCP and the MTRCB.[14]
| Description[15] | |
|---|---|
G | Viewers of all ages are admitted. |
| PG | Viewers under 13 years old should be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult. |
| R-13 | Only viewers who are 13 years old and above can be admitted. |
| R-16 | Only viewers who are 16 years old and above can be admitted. |
| R-18 | Only viewers who are 18 years old and above can be admitted. |
| X | "X-rated" films are not suitable for public exhibition. |
Except for G, all MTRCB cinema ratings are mandatory. No children under the age of 13 may be admitted to a PG-rated film unless when accompanied by an adult. All cinemas are required to check the ages of all patrons who wish to view age-restricted content in a cinema. It is against the law for moviehouses to admit underage patrons into age-restricted content in a cinema. The public exhibition of an "X-rated" film in the Philippines is a serious criminal offense and may lead to more severe disciplinary actions.
G Viewers of all ages are admitted. A "G" classification advises parents or supervising adults that the film is suitable for all audiences, provided there are no depictions of sex and violence.
PG Viewers below 13 years old should be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult. A "PG" classification advises parents or supervising adults that the film may contain material whose treatment is suitable for children below 13 years of age.
R-13 Only viewers who are 13 years old and above can be admitted. An "R-13" classification advises parents, supervising adults, or the would-be viewers themselves, that the film may contain any of the elements that may not be suitable for children below 13 years of age.
This rating is for 13 years old and above.
R-16 Only viewers who are 16 years old and above can be admitted. An "R-16" classification advises viewers, parents, and supervising adults that the film may contain any of the elements that may not be suitable for children below 16 years of age.
This rating is for 16 years old and above.
R-18 Only viewers who are 18 years old and above can be admitted. An "R-18" classification advises viewers, parents, and supervising adults that the film may contain any of the elements that may not be suitable for children below 18 years of age.
This rating is for 18 years old and above. SM Cinema does not show films in their cinemas classified by this rating.
X "X-rated" films have been deemed by the board to be unsuitable for public exhibition.
A film shall be disapproved for public viewing if, in the judgment of the Board:
The MTRCB has implemented a television content rating system since November 1, 1995. Historically, there were only two television ratings used (see the table below). These ratings consisted of a plain text digital on-screen graphic (or pictogram) appearing on the corner of the screen during a program's run time.
| Pictogram | Rating |
|---|---|
| None Plain text (PTV-4 (some programs notably NHK E), Island Living on BEAM TV only from July 2019 – present) | General Patronage |
| Plain text only | Parental Guidance |
| None Plain text (Cine Mo!) | Strong Parental Guidance |
| Pictogram | Rating |
|---|---|
G | General Patronage |
| PG | Parental Guidance (Patnubay at Gabay) |
| SPG | Strong Parental Guidance (Striktong Patnubay at Gabay) |
On October 6, 2011, in order to encourage parents to supervise and be responsible with their children in watching television, the rating system was reformatted, with one additional rating added.[16][17][18]
The ratings notice are always played before the start or midway of the show. The rating voice-overs are usually in Filipino, but predominantly English-language stations have the ratings notice spoken in English (within abroad, GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, GMA News TV International, Kapatid Channel, AksyonTV International, The Filipino Channel, Cinema One and ANC; only spoken in English). Ratings notices were previously broadcast in a 4:3 aspect ratio, but has since been broadcast in a 16:9 widescreen format.
The green 'G', blue 'PG' and red 'SPG' graphic/DOG below are usually seen on the lower right or upper left corner of the screen during the entire show. All programs shown by the television channels are reviewed and classified by the said board. The board may suspend, reject or cancel programs, but cannot revoke broadcast licenses.
G Suitable for all ages. Material for television, which in the judgment of the Board does not contain anything unsuitable for children.
It appears in children's programming, concert specials, and educational programming, as well as some documentaries, home shopping blocks, talent reality shows, and religious programming.
A pictogram advisory accompanied by full-screen written verbal advisory to the effect that the program is classified as "General Patronage" shall be broadcast for at least 10 seconds immediately before the opening credits of the particular television material classified as such.
PG Parental guidance suggested. Material for television, which, in the judgment of the Board, may contain some adult material that may be permissible for children to watch but only under the guidance and supervision of a parent or adult.
The television program classified as "PG" must, in the judgment of the Board, meet the following criteria:
A pictogram advisory accompanied by full-screen written and verbal advisory to the effect that the program is classified as "Parental Guidance" shall be broadcast for at least 10 seconds immediately before the opening credits of the particular television material classified as such. GMA Network's Wowowin airs two PG DOGs, the second one being the cue for regional stations to join in the Manila feed.
SPG Stronger and more vigilant parental guidance is suggested. Programs classified as "SPG" may contain more serious topics and themes, which may not be advisable for children to watch except under the very vigilant guidance and presence of a parent or an adult.
Television programs classified as "SPG" must still fall within the parameters of the existing Parental Guidance classification rating. However, to merit the issuance of an "SPG" rating, the gravity of the material must, in the judgment of the Board, be leaning towards the maximum allowable for Parental Guidance rating. In determining the proper classification rating, the Board shall consider the purpose, genre, and time slot of the program as well as the treatment and depiction of attendant factors such as, but not limited to: Theme (Tema), Language (Lenggwahe), Violence (Karahasan), Sex (Sekswal), Horror (Horror) and Drugs (Droga).
In the exercise of its judgment, the Board shall take due consideration of balancing the interest of the State to protect the welfare of the youth with the interest of the broadcast networks to freedom of expression.
A pictogram advisory accompanied by a full-screen written advisory with voice over to the effect that the program is classified as "Strong Parental Guidance" shall be broadcast for at least 20 seconds, immediately before the opening credits and midway in the full airing of the particular television material classified as such. The full-screen advisory shall specifically declare the content descriptors pertinent to the program being shown, such as but not limited to: Theme (Tema), Language (Lenggwahe), Violence (Karahasan), Sex (Sekswal), Horror and Drugs (Droga).
The SPG rating was implemented on February 9, 2012.[19]
Any television program that does not conform to the "G", "PG", and "SPG" classification shall be unfit for television broadcast if, in the judgment of the Board applying contemporary Filipino cultural values as standard, it is objectionable for being immoral, indecent, contrary to law and/or good customs, injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines or its people, or with a dangerous tendency to encourage the commission of violence, or of a wrong, or crime, such as but not limited to:
| This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2021) |
The Optical Media Board formerly governed censorship for home video releases; this has since been managed by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.
Before 2015, unlike the theatrical ratings, only three are applied to video releases and printed on labels: General Audience (G) for films previously rated G in cinemas, Parental Guidance (PG) for most PG and some R-13 or R-16 titles (with cuts for the R-ratings), and Restricted For Adults (R) for some R-13, many R-16, and most R-18 titles [without cuts for R-16 and R-18, including films released unrated or with adults-only rating equivalents (e.g. R, 18, M18, NC-17, Category III, and R21) outside the Philippines].
Since 2015, the theatrical ratings were applied as home video ratings, replacing the previous system.
In addition to issuing parental ratings for home video content, routine inspections are also conducted at public transport terminals where passenger buses equipped with onboard entertainment systems can be found, to ensure that the films in question are approved by both agencies for public exhibition and are free of inappropriate content.[20]
Advertisement materials are generally outside the scope of the board. Exemptions are "publicity materials" that are those "used to generate public interest in a motion picture or television program such as teasers or promos of television programs, movie trailers, print advertisements, still photos, photo frames, leaflets, posters and billboards and other related media".[21]
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 the board itself does not govern nor does it censor TV shows and movies online, video streaming services such as Viu, Disney+, WeTV iflix, Netflix, iQIYI, Apple TV+, HBO Go, and Amazon Prime Video make use of their own content rating systems to ensure whether content is family-friendly or not.[citation needed]
On September 3, 2020, it was reported that MTRCB wanted to seek the "regulation" of video content that is provided by streaming platforms such as Netflix. According to Atty. Jonathan Presquito, the MTRCB legal affairs division chief, there is a necessity proceed with the regulation, especially because several video content are unrated.[22] However, the move was strongly criticized by several groups and people, noting that the MTRCB has become a tool of censorship.[23] Senator Franklin Drilon said that the move was "very impractical".[24]
Despite touting itself as promoting Filipino values and "intelligent viewing", the board has drawn criticism from filmmakers and special interest groups for its vested interest in the film and television industries, de facto censorship, stifling of creative freedoms on the grounds of family-friendliness, and allegations of inaccuracy in film and television ratings.[25]
Critics contend that the board has not rated certain media, particularly international superhero, action and fantasy films, such as Michael Bay's Transformers and the Harry Potter series (based on the novels by J.K. Rowling), along with locally produced romantic comedies, strongly for violent or sexual themes, noting the arbitrary and biased classification based on board members' opinions on certain films for mature audiences yet overlooking certain scenes or themes that would be given a higher rating elsewhere.[26]
Since 2019, MTRCB announced that they banned movies like Abominable, and Uncharted immediately due to the film's scene involving the nine-dash line at the map of South China Sea, being reached out of controversy at the Southeast Asia (including Philippines).[27][28][29][30]
Aside from administering parental ratings for movies and television shows, the MTRCB also reserves the right to sanction a certain program or movie depending on the gravity of the violation as a means of disciplinary action. This includes all content sanctions by the MTRCB on domestically produced contents. However, cases focusing on suspension of television program broadcasting and movies banned for public screening are covered in separate articles.
