Kapamilya celebs vow to cooperate with MTRCB

The hosts of two ABS-CBN programs, “It’s Showtime” and “Gandang Gabi Vice,” discussed with officials of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) earlier this week how their shows can set good examples to minors.

This was reported by MTRCB Chair Eugenio Villareal, who led Tuesday’s “joint mandatory seminar on audience-sensitivity and the ratings system” at the board’s Quezon City office. Among those present were Jose Marie Viceral or Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Vhong Navarro, Kim Atienza, Jhong Hilario, Billy Crawford, Coleen Garcia, Jugs Jugueta; directors Bobet Vidanes and Reilly Santiago; and executive producer Lani Gutierrez.

The meet was a result of the controversial July 28 episode of “Showtime,” specifically the segment “Gandang Lalaki,” where Viceral dried his armpit with a towel and used the towel to wipe a male dancer’s face.

‘Sexual undertones’

Another MTRCB incident report declared the Aug. 3 episode of “Gandang Gabi Vice” “offensive” because Viceral allegedly used, while interviewing actor Piolo Pascual, “words with sexual undertones and nonverbal acts with double sexual meaning.”

The seminar participants, Villareal said, were oriented on protecting people’s dignity in media; the importance of family; sensitivity towards women, children, persons with disability, and senior citizens; age-appropriate entertainment; and the Constitution, particularly the MTRCB law.

In an interview with dzIQ Inquirer Radio on Wednesday morning, Villareal said, “At the end of the seminar, each one was asked to pledge to immediately do something concrete in their individual capacities to set good examples to minors.”

The seminar lasted over three hours. Villareal said Viceral and Curtis asked the most questions.

Parent empowerment

Earlier, the MTRCB signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Council on Disability Affairs to “establish a framework of cooperation… promoting and protecting… the well-being of persons with disabilities.”

Also recently, the 2nd MTRCB Family and Child Summit was held at the GT-Toyota Asian Center in Quezon City.

The summit upheld the role of parents in choosing entertainment for their children, with the board as partner/guide.

An estimated 600 people—parents, students, educators and government representatives—attended.

Villareal said the summit concluded a yearlong campaign that brought the agency around the country. He said the speeches of Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo and Sen. Bam Aquino were the highlights. “They spoke from the heart,” he recounted. “Representative Robredo discarded her prepared speech and talked about parenting. Bam surprised everyone with news that he was an expectant father.”

In a panel discussion, filmmaker Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil said locally produced movies and TV programs were insufficient. “This is sad,” she said. “Some 10 years from now, the children present here will be parents themselves. We should be mindful of what we make them watch on TV and on the big screen today.”

Board member Eric Mallongga, another panelist, cited the Children’s Television Act of 1997, which requires 15 percent of broadcasting material to be dedicated to children. “This is not happening… we should push for it,” he stressed.

Among the artists who performed at the summit were teen stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, EJ Falcon, Jovit Baldivino, Diva Montelaba, Michael Pangilinan, Princess Velasco, the Dulaang Tobias Foundation and the kiddie rock band Square One. Celebrity couple Paolo Abrera and Suzi Entrata participated in a panel discussion on “Family TV and Film Viewing.”

Board members Jackie Aquino-Gavino and Bobby Andrews hosted the morning program; Kata Inocencio and Gabby Concepcion emceed the afternoon show.

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