Sunday, February 5, 2023
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home News National

‘Regulate-Netflix’ plan draws heavy flak

Macon Ramos-AranetabyMacon Ramos-Araneta
September 5, 2020, 1:20 am
in National
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

An official of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board wants streaming sites like Netflix and iFlix, among others, regulated to ensure that movies and other contents they carry are compliant with the MTRCB law.

In the House of Representatives, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano slammed the MTRCB for its plan to regulate video content in streaming platforms like Netflix.

“This is the kind of bureaucratic thinking that gives government workers a bad name,” Cayetano said in a statement posted on his Facebook account.

“The people are facing so many problems and yet this is what the MTRCB wants to prioritize,” said Cayetano.

He said he was puzzled why the issue suddenly cropped up but added that since the hearings for the 2021 National Budget were already under way, “Congress will give them (MTRCB) a chance to explain how they came up with “this ridiculous idea.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Speaking during the Senate trade committee hearing on the proposed Internet Transactions Act, MTRCB’s legal affairs division chief Jonathan Presquito cited the need to regulate streaming service platforms, adding these movies are unrated.

“There is a necessity for us to proceed with the regulation, especially during the lockdown,” Presquito said, stressing that most people subscribe to movie streaming services like Netflix, iFlix to keep their sanity intact.

But Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, author of the bill, said the measure did not cover the regulation of video content being offered to online consumers.

“What our proposal intends to do is limited to the buying and selling of video on demand insofar as the content is concerned, whether that is Rated R or Rated 18+, that’s another law (the measure for content review will involve another law),” Gatchalian said.

He said that was not “part of this proposed law because that’s a whole new different dimension altogether,” he added.

Gatchalian proposed that it better be addressed in a separate measure since it was delving on the content side.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said “we have to think about the stand of MTRCB on the issue.”

“It’s either we update our laws to catch up with technology or we enforce our archaic laws and hold back technological progress,” he said.

“Definitely they (Netflix, etc) are doing business, subscribers coming from and based in the Philippines and watching from the Philippines,” he added.

But Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon opposed the MTRCB’s plan, saying it should “instead allow Netflix and other media to self-regulate content.”

In a statement, Drilon said: “It’s very impractical. There are thousands of shows on Netflix alone – how will MTRCB review each one?

“Can the MTRCB review every single content that can be accessed through the internet? What will they do about virtual private networks that allow users to access content from other countries?

“If they insist on it, then taxpayers will be paying MTRCB only to stream movies and shows 24/7, 365 days.”

He noted that Netflix had self-regulation mechanisms that were not present in, and were perhaps, more effective than the regulation or classification in television.

Netflix classifies shows based on whether these are for General Patronage, Parental Guidance, 7 and above, 16 and up, R-18 and so on.

Drilon added the Constitution prohibited censorship on content as it was tantamount to prior restraint and infringed on the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and expression.

However, Presquito maintained that when the entity was registered with MTRCB, three things could happen: Movies that would be streamed are age-appropriate, prohibited content can’t be seen, and the movies shown online are authorized by the distributors.

In other countries, he noted that all Netflix content would undergo prior review. He cited South Korea’s policy that requires the prior review of the contents from the American movie and technology giant.

“We want an environment of growth and, in fact, during our engagement with different regulators in the [Southeast Asian] region, the commonality is let’s allow the streaming service to flourish but how do we balance that with the regulatory mechanisms,” he said.

He said the MTRCB law covered all motion picture content regardless of the platform.

If the entity was selling the material, he said, that entity first must be registered with the MTRCB and second the material being sold must be duly passed upon by the MTRCB.

“Otherwise, it is a clear violation of the MTRCB law,” he added.

As early as 2018, he said they were already engaged with the regulatory counterparts in different regions as well as the different stakeholders for the implementation of the MTRCB law on how to regulate motion picture content distributed via the internet like Netflix, Amazon prime, Iflix and the rest.

In 2019, he said they were invited by the representatives from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Trade and Industry since at that time they were ready to impose the regulation.

He said the MTRCB had prepared a draft of regulatory policies but one dilemma was hampering its roll out.

“We don’t want to create an impression that MTRCB will be violating the other laws of the Philippines. For example, Netflix will register with MTRCB and yet Netlfix won’t comply with SEC law on doing business, won’t comply with the BIR law on registration, won’t comply with the local government regulations, mayor’s permit,” he said.

Cayetano said if the MTRCB wanted to be relevant at this time, “what it should be thinking of is how to help improve the [film] industry because we have been left behind by our Asian neighbors.”

“The irony here is that, while Congress and other government agencies are doing everything they can to open up lines of communication with the public, and increase transparency, MTRCB is focused on the outdated mindset of information regulation and censorship,” Cayetano said.

“What decade are you living in?” he asked.

Cayetano said the fact that Netflix and other online content are beyond the jurisdiction of the MTRCB “makes this even more mind-boggling.”

He said while Presidential Decree 1986 granted powers to the MTRCB, it also limited its scope to “motion pictures, television programs and commercials intended for public exhibition in theaters and television.”

“There is no Netflix in that law. That’s because this law was crafted before the commercial use of the internet — and that medium has since grown by leaps and bounds,” Cayetano said.

Meanwhile, Marichu Lambino, a professor  on media law and ethics, said the MTRCB had no power to regulate content on video streaming apps like Netflix.

site Netflix and other similar providers.

Lambino said: “The MTRCB has no jurisdiction over video streaming apps because computer programs are property and courts have jurisdiction over that.”

Maricel V. Cruz

Tags: Movie and Television Review and Classification BoardNetflixregulate
ADVERTISEMENT
Macon Ramos-Araneta

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Related Posts

Fortun: Drug war victims had false death records

byManila Standard
February 3, 2023, 11:50 pm
0
8
Southwoods nails Seniors’ Fil golf crown

Forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun said that more victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war had falsified death certificates....

Read more

Escudero: No tax exemption for Maharlika corp

byMacon Ramos-Araneta
February 3, 2023, 11:40 pm
0
8
Duterte floats Bicol’s Salceda, Chiz as next President

Senator Chiz Escudero said it is “bad policy” to give tax exemption to the proposed Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC), which will manage...

Read more

BI nabs Japanese wanted for illegal recruitment

byVito Barcelo
February 3, 2023, 11:20 pm
0
8
Koreans top list of fugitive aliens captured by BI

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a Japanese fugitive wanted by authorities in his country for illegal recruitment and falsifying official...

Read more

JV bats for lower PhilHealth dues

byMacon Ramos-Araneta
February 3, 2023, 11:20 pm
0
8
Ejercito believes PH can repeat ‘05 SEAG feat

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito has urged the Senate to amend Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Healthcare (UHC) Law...

Read more

PAO seeks hefty fines for erring contractors

byRio N. Araja
February 3, 2023, 11:10 pm
0
8
PAO set to transfer to new office in QC

The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) is seeking tougher fines and penalties against developers and contractors of substandard and defective construction...

Read more

LGUs craft support plan for agrarian reform orgs

byRio N. Araja
February 3, 2023, 11:00 pm
0
8
Cruz scores Leni for meddling in farmers’ case

At least seven government agencies and nine local government units have crafted a convergence plan to benefit farmer-members of 113...

Read more

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • Alfonso Yuchengco: Longer than a centrury
  • Online Payment of DOH Permits, Licenses, Registration in Metro Manila Now Available via www.myeg.ph
  • Digital champions
  • Scholarship platform
  • Up-and-coming singer hits listeners with new heartbreak anthem
  • ‘Agimat ng Agila’ is PMPC’s best drama series
  • Can Beyonce finally take home the top Grammy?
  • Queen of the arts

Advertisement

Latest News

‘Agimat ng Agila’ is PMPC’s best drama series

byManila Standard Showbiz
February 5, 2023, 9:20 pm
0
8
Queen of the arts

Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. is overjoyed after his high-rating Agimat ng Agila was adjudged Best TV Mini-Series, after two...

Read more

Can Beyonce finally take home the top Grammy?

byAFP
February 5, 2023, 9:10 pm
0
8
Queen of the arts

As music’s elite gather in Los Angeles for the Grammy awards on Sunday (Monday in Manila), one question is playing...

Read more

Queen of the arts

byAlwin Ignacio
February 5, 2023, 9:00 pm
0
8
Queen of the arts

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is excited and thrilled as she joins the celebration of National Arts Month (NAM) for...

Read more

Vancouver… in Washington?

byBob Zozobrado
February 5, 2023, 8:50 pm
0
8
Fall in love with City of Dreams’ seductive gastronomic offerings

While my sister and I were driving from Seattle to Portland, we passed by a directional sign on the highway...

Read more

Rediscovering Makati’s hip and happening side 

byManila Standard Lifestyle
February 5, 2023, 8:40 pm
0
8
Fall in love with City of Dreams’ seductive gastronomic offerings

Noted for its numerous gated communities, upscale malls, world-class hotels, and bustling central business district, Makati City has a long-held...

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • MS ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Pets
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App