AS2207
PHILIPPINE COMMUNICATION MEDIA LAWS, ETHICS, AND MASS MEDIA SYSTEM
A regulatory body's general responsibility is to serve and safeguard the public interest in the practice
of a profession, professional governance, and registrant behavior at all times. A regulatory body is a
public organization and/or government agency that is in charge of enforcing laws that control many
elements of human activity.
Regulating Bodies
Its purpose is to set and enhance standards while also ensuring continuous adherence to them. Many
regulatory agencies regulate various areas of the economy and public life, such as transportation,
education, and food and medication sales. In this case, the communication media.`
Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
The Movie and Television Analyze and Classification Board (MTRCB) has the authority to review and
approve all promotional materials for motion films and television programs under Presidential Decree
PD 1986, which was enacted on 5 October 1985. Under the terms of this decree, the Board may
disapprove and delete portions of content that it deems objectionable for being immoral, contrary to
law and good customs, damaging to the reputation of the Philippines and its people, or encouraging
the commission of an act of violence, a crime, or any other wrong.
The Board, which is immediately subordinate to the Office of the President of the Philippines, has the
authority to oversee, control, issue, refuse, or revoke licenses for the importation, export,
manufacture, distribution, sale, leasing, or display of all such promotional materials. The Board's
decisions prohibiting the broadcast of a film or television program are appealable only to the
President, whose judgment is final.
Therefore, despite its name, the MTRCB is a censorship body. In the last ten years, several incidents
highlighting the perils of this authority have emerged. For instance, the Board decided to remove
"objectionable elements" from the film Schindler's List, but the President ultimately overruled this
decision. The majority of these instances have unavoidably collided with the fundamental right to
freedom of speech.
Optical Media Board
Under Presidential Decree PD 1986, which was adopted on 5 October 1985, the Movie and Television
Analyze and Classification Board (MTRCB) can analyze and approve all promotional materials for
motion pictures and television shows. The Board may reject and remove sections of material that it
finds undesirable for being immoral, contrary to law and good traditions, detrimental to the image of
the Philippines and its people, or promoting the commission of an act of violence, a crime, or any
other wrong.
The Board, which is directly subordinate to the Office of the President of the Philippines, can
supervise, manage, grant, deny, or revoke permits for the importation, export, production, distribution,
sale, lease, or exhibition of promotional materials. The Board's judgments to restrict the transmission
of a film or television show may only be appealed to the President, whose decision is final.
Consequently, despite its name, the MTRCB is a censorship organization. Several examples
exposing the dangers of this power have arisen during the last decade. The President finally reversed
04 Handout 5 *Property of STI
[Link]@[Link] Page 1 of 2
AS2207
the Board's decision to delete "objectionable parts" from the film Schindler's List. The bulk of these
occurrences has inadvertently violated the right to free expression.
National Telecommunications Commission
The NTC oversees, adjudicates, and controls all Philippine telecommunications services, including
radio stations, wired or wireless telephone lines, cable corporations, satellite television providers, and
internet service providers.
The regulatory body was established in July 1979 by Executive Order No. 546 issued by former
president Ferdinand Marcos.
The NTC has both regulatory and quasi-judicial responsibilities. It is supervised administratively by
the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), although its rulings are
subject to appeal to the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.
Two significant legislation, the Radio Control Law and the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of
1995, outline the NTC's authority in further detail.
The two statutes provide the NTC the authority to regulate the installation, operation, and
maintenance of commercial and public broadcasting stations in the United States. The NTC issues
licenses for the use of radio, television, telephone, and broadband frequencies.
The commission also has the authority to investigate complaints and require compliance with service
standards from telecommunications firms.
Similarly, the NTC regulates the radio spectrum and supervises broadcasting stations in the
Philippines. In addition, presidential orders No. 546 and No. 205 control cable television and pay
television.
References:
1987 Philippine constitution - The LawPhil project. (n.d.). The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation, Inc. [Link]
About. (2021, October 28). Optical Media Board. [Link]
Broadcast code of the Philippines. (n.d.). Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas – (Association of Philippine Broadcasters). [Link]
content/uploads/2008/04/KBP_Broadcast_Code_2011.pdf
Burrett, T., & Kingston, J. (2019). Press freedom in contemporary Asia.
Corredoira, L., Mallen, I. B., & Presuel, R. C. (2021). The handbook of communication rights, law, and ethics. John Wiley & Sons.
Corp., A. (n.d.). Code of ethics | ABS-CBN corporate governance. [Link]. [Link]
GMA New Media. (n.d.). [Link] - Corporate - Official corporate website of the Kapuso network. GMA Network | News and
Entertainment. [Link]
International covenant on civil and political rights. (n.d.). OHCHR. [Link]
and-political-rights#:~:text=Everyone%20shall%20have%20the%20right,other%20media%20of%20his%20choice
International covenant on civil and political rights. (n.d.). OHCHR. [Link]
and-political-rights
Philippine press institute. (2020, October 25). Philippine Press Institute. [Link]
Protecting the human right to freedom of expression in international law. (2017, November 10). Taylor &
Francis. [Link]
United Nations. (n.d.). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [Link]
04 Handout 5 *Property of STI
[Link]@[Link] Page 2 of 2
