MTRCB eyes ‘co-regulation’ with video streaming platforms

MANILA, Philippines — The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) is eyeing “co-regulation” with video streaming sites like Netflix.

During a Senate budget hearing on Friday, MTRCB chair Rachel Arenas clarified that the board does not intend to review all videos-on-demand.

This after the MTRCB drew flak when one of its officials sought the “regulation” of content from video streaming platforms.

“Hinihiling lang naman namin sa kanila before was to adapt to our ratings. (What we want them to do was to adapt to our ratings). We’re not going to review all videos on demand. We’re going to do a co-regulation,” Arenas said.

“But again, of course, we haven’t done the public consultation and the draft is not yet finished, so it’s not yet really on the table,” she added.

Further, Arenas said the MTRCB has actually been closely coordinating with video providers for the past two years.

She said video-on-demand sites, which were “very much amenable” to align to MTRCB’s classification, have asked the board on what laws they should follow.

“Sila ‘yung nagtatanong sa amin kung ano ‘yung kailangan nilang sundin (They are the ones asking us what laws they should follow) but we told them at that time that we will make first our guidelines, to give us time because it’s quite difficult talaga (indeed),” the MTRCB official said.

“It’s a problem all over the world to really monitor all the video-on-demand providers,” she added.

Senator Grace Poe, a former MTRCB chair, agreed with Arenas as she also underscored the challenge for parents to monitor the online content being viewed by their children at home.

“Parents are partners in this. Kasi, ‘yung mga magulang talaga, dapat binabantayan kung ano pinapanood ng mga bata. And when we talk about online content, it will be impossible to monitor all of that,” Poe said.

(Parents are partners in this. Because the parents really should be looking after what their children are watching. And when we talk about online content, it will be impossible to monitor all of that.)

The senator also broached the idea of amending the MTRCB law to clarify its jurisdiction over online content.

“It’s a really gray area,” Poe said.

“If we amend a certain provision there that will make it clearer what are the responsibilities of online content and if we will allow them autonomy—that should be written down there,” she added. [ac]