GMA 7, producer admit ‘lapses’ in handling Ryzza Mae

Ryzza Mae with contestant winner. Screengrab from YouTube.com

MANILA, Philippines—GMA Network and the producers of two of its shows on Thursday “acknowledged lapses” in their handling of child host Ryzza Mae Dizon and agreed to have closer collaboration with the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to ensure a child-friendly programming.

During a mandatory conference at the MTRCB, officials of GMA 7 and the producers of “Eat Bulaga” and “The Ryzza Mae Show” asked to be given until Monday  to submit “concrete and time-bound remedial measures, with adequate review and feedback mechanism” that the MTRCB Ad Hoc Committee on the Ryzza Mae Dizon Matter needs to approve, the censors board said in a statement.

The MTRCB on Wednesday said that some scenes shown by the two programs “palpably violate the dignity of the child,” prompting  the board to summon the show’s producer TAPE, Inc. and GMA Network, where both shows air.

The board mentioned two episodes: “Eat Bulaga”’s July 29 episode in which TV host Vic Sotto “spat juice on the face” of Ryzza Mae  in the segment called “Ang Joke Ko.” Another was on the Ryzza Mae Show’s August 14 episode where a contest winner called the child “landing bata ka.”

“TAPE, Inc. and GMA Network acknowledged lapses in the scenes in question and agreed to enter into a three-month period of closer collaboration with the MTRCB to ensure child-friendly scenes involving child host Ryzza Mae Dizon,” the MTRCB said.

“Of great concern is determining who will deal with Ryzza Mae in her scenes and how, such that her dignity and well-being as a child are not violated,” it added.

During the conference, Dr. Vanessa Cainghug of the Philippine Psychiatric Association provided inputs on how to ensure the psychological well-being of the child host.

In attendance were TAPE, Inc. president and CEO Antonio P. Tuviera and senior vice president-COO Malou Choa-Fagar, and GMA Network vice president for program management Jose Mari Abacan and legal counsel Jose Vener Ibarra. Bayani San Diego, Inquirer Entertainment

Originally posted at 7:21 p.m.

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