Senator Win Gatchalian has urged the Movie Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to regulate and screen movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime.
But MTRCB Chair, Rachel Arenas pointed out that the law is not clear on whether the agency is empowered to do so.
During budget deliberations for MTRCB, Rachel Arenas, MTRCB Chairperson said their power to review and regulate shows only applies to traditional movie and television shows.
Arenas added that the law does not explain if it gives jurisdiction to MTRCB over online contents.
The Philippines has its own streaming sites like iWant, iFlix, and HOOQ. The MTRCB said it will be challenging to regulate online contents because some companies are registered outside the Philippines.
“The difference is, of course, their law is different from us. I think what I understand is they outsource the reviewers which we cannot do. So, we told them during our meeting that they should adopt our rating system.
“If we amend the law, maybe we can have more reviewers and allow outsourcing or add to our board members so that we can review all these materials,” she said.
Gatchalian brought up the regulation issue because some contents may be easily accessible to kids with these online sites.
The lawmaker also cited the horror film, “Eerie,” which was produced by Star Cinema. The horror film talks about students committing suicide which could potentially affect a kid’s mental health.
“This becomes sort of like a loophole for our regulators to look at. I just want to bring that on the table so that the board can discuss how to transition in today’s 21st century distribution channel,” Gatchalian said. (TN)
