Filipino directors oppose MTRCB plan to regulate streaming platforms

The Directors’ Guild of the Philippines (DGPI) said they are against the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB)’s plan to regulate content on streaming platforms such as Netflix, iFlix, and Amazon Prime.

In a statement released Friday, September 4, the DGPI said that the group “protests any additional efforts of regulation by MTRCB.”

“Streaming sites like Netflix already have classifications, content warnings, and parental controls in place. There is no need for more state control of what adults or their children can or cannot see,” the group said.

“Additional regulation would also discourage the acquisition of local content, and thereby hurt the film industry at a time when it is struggling to survive. MTRCB is expected to be an enabling partner of the industry towards authentic self-regulation.”

The DGPI urged senators to instead “encourage the growth of the local film industry and the viewing public by preserving freedom of expression and self-regulation.”

“In an era where choices are expanded, let us not contract ours.”

During a Senate hearing last week, Jonathan Presquito, the MTRCB’s legal affairs chief, said that shows in streaming platforms should be reviewed and regulated by the agency.

But Senator Franklin Drilon said MTRCB’s proposal was  “impractical,” and that measures by the streaming sites would probably be more effective than the MTRCB’s classification system.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the plan was “foolishness,” saying that MTRCB’s mandate has limitations. – Rappler.com