YOUNG children easily imitate what they see and watch on television and in other forms of media and this affects their lives in some way. 

Almost thousands of scientific studies have confirmed  the significant effects on children of violence  in media which  increases the risk of aggressive behavior, desensitizes them to violence and makes them believe that the world is what they saw in TV – they can fly, they can hold a gun, puff a cigarette, utter obscene and bad words.

It is a fact that the act of imitating what they have seen on a television show causes injury to themselves or others around them. 

Based on researches, children who viewed and imitated media violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence and injury that lead to violent behavior.

And this is what the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) wants to avoid among Filipino children who frequently watch local TV programs with the issuance of guidelines on classifying programs with intense violence, intense sexual situations strong coarse language, or intensely suggestive dialogue as Strong Parental Guidance.

“We want to balance the interest of the State to protect and promote the development and welfare of the youth with the interest of the broadcast industry to freedom of expression,” said MTRCB Chair Mary Grace Poe Llamanzares.

Llamanzares said programs classified as “SPG” may contain more serious topics and themes, which may not be advisable for children to watch except under the very vigilant guidance and presence of a parent or adult.

The current scope of Parental Guidance was so wide that even some reality shows with intense dialogue or with sex scenes and even fighting in front of the camera is classified as PG.

But with the new guidelines, the board will strictly monitor, consider and implement the SPG guidelines and will determine the genre and time slot of the programs as well as the treatment and depiction of attendant factors such as T for Theme, V for Violence, D for Drugs, L for Language, S for Sex, and H for Horror.

TV networks should exercise caution in showing foreign and Hollywood movies with harsh and violent content and translated into Tagalog  with appropriate editing and translation and must show the pictogram advisory showing the capital letters “SPG” written on a red box and superimposed at the bottom right corner of the television screen throughout the entire showing of the program or it may be placed in other parts of the TV screen.

Parents should limit their children‘s viewing of violent programs. Unfortunately, violence is one of the most popular forms of entertainment with over sixty percent of programs being shown in prime time containing some form of violence.

Llamanzares said they want to protect the children from anything which may prejudice their general well-being.