JERRY OLEA
Ibinalita ng Senate of the Philippines noong Lunes, Hunyo 2, 2025, na nagpasalamat si Senator Robinhood Padilla sa kanyang colleagues matapos pumasa ang Senate Bill No. 2805, o ang Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Act, sa pangatlo at panghuling pagbasa.
Si Senator Robinhood ang chairperson ng Committee on Public Information and Mass Media.
“Ang tagumpay ng panukalang ito sa mataas na kapulungan ay hindi tagumpay ninuman, kundi ng libo-libong manonood, lalo’t higit ang kabataan, na kailangan nating mabigyan ng proteksyon habang sinisiguro ang malikhaing pagpapahayag sa mundo ng telebisyon at pelikula,” sabi ng actor-politician.
Read: MTRCB Censorship: Abolish or Retain?
The bill seeks to give the board the power to review movies and series streamed through on-demand streaming online platforms and similar technologies for public viewing.
Ibig sabihin, sasakupin na rin ng MTRCB ang streaming platforms na gaya ng Netflix, VMX (dating Vivamax), Max, HBO, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, iWantTFC, Viu, iQIYI, YouTube Premium, Apple TV+, HOOQ, Gagaoolala, CinePop, Life Time Dream, HeyPogi, at marami pang iba.
Noon pa man ay may mga nag-aalala nang baka mawala ang Netflix sa Pilipinas kung “aanderin” ito ng MTRCB.
Sabi-sabi, ang unang-unang masasapul ng MTRCB Act ay ang VMX.
VMX ACTORS REACT TO MTRCB ACT
Sa premiere night ng pelikulang Wild Boys nitong Hunyo 3, 2025, Miyerkules, sa Gateway Mall, Cubao, Quezon City, inurirat ang VMX hunk actors na sina Rash Flores at Nico Locco kaugnay sa panukalang ng Senado na i-regulate ang streaming online ng mga pelikula at serye.
Sabi ni Rash: “Wala po tayong magagawa doon. OK lang din naman po.
"Yun po ang parang desisyon ng nasa itaas, so, OK lang naman.”
Paano pag “nasampolan” na ang VMX?
“Mahirap pero kailangan po nating tanggapin kung maaapektuhan. Masakit, siyempre. Doon ako galing…
“Para sa akin po siyempre, hindi po ako pabor. Doon ako sa Vivamax nag-start, e.”
Read: Direk Roman Perez Jr., pabor bang saklawin ng MTRCB ang VMX?
Aminado si Nico na hindi siya aware sa MTRCB Act.
Umayon siya na malamang tamaan ng panukala ang VMX dahil ito ang biggest streaming platform sa bansa na bold.
Ano ang insights niya sa online censorship, in general, sa Pilipinas?
Tugon ni Nico: “Para sa akin, I mean, everything is accessible online nowadays, e. I mean, not to mention adult content online, and you can access it for free.
“So, para sa akin, I don’t see the problem with a streaming platform like Vivamax.
“Kasi una sa lahat, you have to be 18 at least to use it. Pangalawa, you have to pay to use it.
“So, dapat mature ka. Mature audiences siyempre, and it’s for payment. So I don’t understand the problem with…
“I mean, a 14-year-old can go online and find adult content for free without any censorship.
“Vivamax is an online platform where you have to be 18 or older to access it, and there’s a payment as well.
“I mean, hindi siya bastos compared to what you can find online. So, para sa akin, I don’t agree with it…
“I’m not a lawmaker here sa Pinas. I’m just an actor for Viva. I’m European, right?
“Parang this is very normal sa Italy at ibang bansa sa Europe, this kind of content. It’s considered art, right?
“And that’s how Vivamax should be seen. Kasi, at the end of the day, I mean, the people that go to church are still watching Vivamax.
“Alam niyo kung bakit? Because it’s done with taste. And art. And may production value.
“It’s not like watching iyung mga adult websites where there’s just a guy holding a camera tapos bembeng, bembeng lang!
“Bembang lang, sorry, and then that’s it, right? There’s production value in Vivamax. There’s art, too. And may story.”
Read: Hubaderos 2025 1Q: Celebs who bared on stage, runway, TV, films
MTRCB REACTS TO MTRCB ACT
Nag-post ang MTRCB sa kanilang Facebook page ng reaksiyon kaugnay sa MTRCB Act.
Nakasaad dito: “The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board [MTRCB] extends its heartfelt appreciation to the Senate of the Philippines for the approval of Senate Bill No. 2805 on third and final reading on Monday, June 2, 2025.
“With 21 affirmative votes, one negative vote and zero abstention, the bill seeks to strengthen and expand the mandate, capabilities, and organizational structure of the MTRCB.
“The measure was sponsored by Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media Chairperson, Senator Robinhood Padilla and highly supported by lawmakers including former MTRCB Chairperson and Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares.”
Ngayong Hunyo 4, Miyerkules, ay naglabas ng press statement si MTRCB Chairperson and CEO Lala Sotto kaugnay sa passage ng Senate Bill No. 2805 na nag-a-amend sa charter nito.
Pahayag ni Chair Lala: “We respectfully defer to the wisdom of our lawmakers on the matter. Whatever is ultimately approved by Congress and the President, we will implement it.
“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 amendments seek to establish appropriate mechanisms for cooperation with online streaming platforms and online curated content providers (OCCs) and streaming videos on-demand (SVOD).
“These include the adoption of safeguards such as ‘safety by design’ principles and the creation of structured feedback mechanisms and accountability.
“We wish to emphasize that while the amendments include OCCS and SVODs in the coverage of MTRCB, the Board does not seek to rate or review these materials.
“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.
“In the end, it is our collective hope that any amendment should be firmly anchored on the principle that the protection of children is a top priority.”
Read: MTRCB to regulate Netflix and streaming services?
NOEL FERRER
Natanong din ako tungkol sa MTRCB Act.
Ang sagot ko ay tanong din: nakonsulta ba ang industry stakeholders tungkol dito lalo na ang producers na siyang bubuno ng review fees every time nagpapa-approve, at sa consumers /audience na I’m sure na pagbabayarin ng mas mataas para sa mas tataas na overhead ng producers?
And beyond the fee, it is also about state control.
Ano ang epekto nito sa content?
Ang mangyayari rito ay after the fact na — na na-approve na bago pa man maganap ang malawakang konsultasyon? Paano kaya mae-explain ito sa mga tao?
At inuna talaga ito, ha, sa usaping impeachment kung saan pananagutin ang isang mataas na public official sa napakalaking confidential funds, among many others.
Hay naku talaga!
Read: DGPI, kinondena ang X-rating ng MTRCB sa dalawang pelikula
GORGY RULA
Ito nga ang nasa isip ng ibang film producers — hindi kaya panligaw itong MTRCB Act sa isyu ng impeachment?
Initial reaction ng ilang producers, hindi ba dapat kontrolin muna nila ang porno sa Internet na madaling i-access ng mga kabataan?
Hiningan ko ng opinyon si Mr. Erwin Blanco ng Mavx Productions na madalas nagpo-produce ng mga pelikula para sa streaming service kagaya ng Netflix.
Aniya: “Hindi ako pabor kasi papatayin lalo niyan ang pelikula, we are moving backwards hindi tayo nagpo-progress. May bayad naman yang mga streaming, e.
“So, choice ng tao yan kung ano ang gusto nila mapanood.
"Okay naman sa free TV dahil libre and open to everybody. Pero yung may bayad, dapat choice na ng tao yan kung ano ang gusto nila.
“Tama si Senator Risa [Hontiveros], it’s killing the freedom of the audience.”
Bukod sa mga streaming service ngayon, nagsisimula na rin ang ilang producers sa paggawa ng tinatawag nilang vertical dramas. Pati kaya ito ay sasakupin na rin ng naturang ahensya?
Sandali kong nakatsikahan si Mayor Albee Benitez na nagpo-produce pa rin at nagsisimula na ngayong mag-produce ng mga vertical drama.
Wala naman daw problema kung sakupin ito ng MTRCB dahil pang-mature audience daw ang pinu-produce nila.
“Okay lang yun. Pero ang sa amin, ang market namin, 21 years old and above,” sabi ni Mayor Albee.
Read: Lala Sotto justifies X ratings of Alipato at Muog, Dear Satan