The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to intensify public awareness on the protection and promotion of human rights.
MTRCB Chairman Atty. Eugenio “Toto” Villareal along with CHR Chairman Jose Luis Martin “Chito” Gascon, MTRCB Board Member Atty. Noel Del Prado, and CHR Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit, led the MOA signing at the CHR office in Diliman, Quezon City on Dec. 9.
According to Villareal, the signing is but a confirmation of the cooperation that has already been going on between the two agencies. “First, for the past few years, in both its developmental activities like the Matalinong Panonood for the protection of the viewers, especially children and women, and in the adjudication and dispute resolutions that we do, we have already adopted what we call a rights-based approach. And what greater ally we can have in this approach than the men and women of the Commission on Human Rights. Secondly, because of our developmental mandate, we would also like to bring to our stakeholders all our lessons in human rights as these apply to media and entertainment,” he said.
For his part, Gascon shared that as state institutions, both the CHR and the MTRCB have crucial roles to play in terms of building a society and a community of values. “The MTRCB of course is the institution of government that ensures that whatever is produced, that impacts on our future, builds on, draws from, and strengthens a humane, democratic, and peaceful society. The same also with CHR which is a constitutional body that promotes and protects human rights. We are excited about the prospect of cooperation that we might be able to develop between the CHR and the MTRCB as we continue to promote the values of a humane society,” he said.
Through the partnership, MTRCB and CHR seek to formulate integrated advocacy programs to promote human rights and to prevent violations by undertaking an information campaign on human rights of vulnerable groups particularly women, children, and individuals with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity.
Also present during the signing were MTRCB Executive Director Atty. Ann Marie Nemenzo, Board Members Atty. Jojo Salomon, Jackie Aquino-Gavino, and Gladys Reyes-Sommereux, together with CHR Commissioners Roberto Eugenio Cadiz and Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana.
