Ryzza Mae with contestant winner. Screengrab from YouTube.com
MANILA, Philippines – Movie and Television Review and Classification Board Chairman Eugenio “Toto” Villareal on Friday said television producers should issue guidelines for cast, crew and audience on how to treat child actors.
In an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990AM, Villareal said people working with child actors such as Ryzza Mae Dizon should be sensitive to their age and needs.
The MTRCB on Wednesday summoned GMA Network and TAPE, Inc., producer of “Eat Bulaga” and “The Ryzza Mae Show,” to discuss “child-insensitive” scenes which “humiliated and degraded” Dizon.
Villareal said the network admitted their lapses and promised to put up remedial measures.
“The question now to be addressed by remedial measures is who gets to deal with her [Dizon] and how?’ Because it may be an actor, maybe a contestant…There is a need for child sensitivity. And therefore what are the steps?” he said.
The MTRCB chair said the show has already a child psychologist but there are no preventive measures that could have addressed the August 14 episode where a contest winner called the child actress a “flirt.”
Villareal said the risk is especially high since the show is done live.
“Before the show starts, they have a video like that of Philippine Airlines. What to do inside the studio… If a catastrophe happens, where should you exit? You might as well have some guidelines like this, most especially if you are not part of the permanent cast,” he said.
Villareal also said it would also be “ideal” to have a pre-school or elementary teacher as co-host for child actors.
Related Stories:
‘Eat Bulaga,’ ‘The Ryzza Mae Show’ violate ‘dignity of the child’—MTRCB
GMA 7, producer admit ‘lapses’ in handling Ryzza Mae
Group calls for ‘child-friendly media’ amid Ryzza Mae issue