A cut above the rest

“I haven’t even warmed my chair yet,” Maria Rachel Arenas said as she welcomed us to the office of the MTRCB (Movie & Television Review & Classification Board) only a few days after she was appointed the new chairman replacing Eugenio “Toto” Villareal. “It’s my second day here. I have yet to take my oath maybe before a barangay chairman or any elected official.” Why not before her mom, Rose Marie “Baby” Arenas who replaced Rachel as representative of Pangasinan (Third District)? “Yeah,” she said, “Why not?”

So the next day, Rachel did just that, while waiting to do the same before Pres. DU30 once he is free from his airtight schedule.

Rachel brings to her new position a wealth of knowledge and experience. She finished elementary and secondary education at Colegio de San Agustin (Makati City), AB Political Science (Academic Excellence for Outstanding Thesis) from De La Salle University, and took up further studies at the Institute of Politics of John F. Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University in 2003 and at Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston, USA, in 2004.

Her work experience includes being director for special projects for the Father Pio Lend a Hand Foundation (Makati City); research and training assistant, Congressional Research and Training Service; radio and television producer for public affairs, ACE TV Concepts; contributing writer, Money Asia; consultant for government affairs, PAGCOR; member of the Board of Governors, Philippine Red Cross; and representative of the Third District of Pangasinan (named Most Outstanding Congresswoman of 2007 by Congress Magazine, Trade Express Asia.

Rachel, single (a Scorpio, born Nov. 15), is the 15th and seventh woman chairman of MTRCB, coming after Guillermo de Vega (1969-1975), Ma. Rocio Atienza de Vega (1975-1981), Maria Kalaw Katigbak (1981-1985), Manuel “Manoling” Morato (1986-1992), Henrietta Silos Mendez (1992-1995), Jesus Sison (1995-1998), Armida Siguion-Reyna (1998-2001), Alejandro Roces (2001-2002), Marilen Ysmael Dinglasan (2002, acting), Dennis Manicad (2002-2003), Ma. Consoliza Laguardia (2003-2010), Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares (2010-2012), Emmanuel Borlaza (2012, acting) and Villareal (2012-2017).

Aside from the chairman (Rachel) and the vice chairman (Maning Borlaza), the board is composed of 30 other members as provided by the law. Newly-appointed members are: Pablo Reyes IV, Evelyn Quinsay, Cherry Anne Centeno-Espion, Roland Tolentino, Nathaniel Joseph Fuentes de Mesa, Alexis Lumbatan, Ma. Consoliza Laguardia, Raymond Ismael Aquino, Bibeth Orteza, Alfonso Mendoza, Federico Moreno, Catherine Cabuga, Ma. Cristina Concordia, Margaux Justiniano “Mocha” Uson, lawyer Ogie Jaro, Moymoy Palaboy and Luke Mejares. The holdovers are: Maloli Espinosa, Mario Hernando, Joey Romero, Allan Bengzon, Jojo Salomon, Eric Mallonga, Tessie Villarama, Manet Dayrit, Krip Yuson, Gladys Reyes, Robert Arevalo and Gaby Concepcion.

Were you surprised about your appointment?

“Quite. Months ago, I heard on TV that I was one of the possible candidates for the position. I said, ‘Ha, me?’ When I received the call from the PMS (Presidential Management Staff) last week that I would be appointed. I said, ‘Really? Thank you for the trust.’ Then I got a call from the MTRCB which by then had received my appointment.” 

What was the first thing that you did after that?

“Yesterday, the previous MTRCB chairman was here to talk about the programs which I have already read. There are so many programs that the agency has been undertaking for so many years and they are really good. Magaganda talaga ang mga programa and I don’t really plan to change anything. Maybe we might have to improve on some of them, depending on the consensus of the board. I saw how the MTRCB has evolved at maganda naman ang ginawa nila.”

Mocha was quoted as saying that she wanted the SPG (Strong Parental Guidance/Striktong Patnubay at Gabay) scrapped. The SPG rating was suggested by then MTRCB head (now Sen.) Grace Poe.

“The previous board has already decided on that, so it has to stay.”

What kind of MTRCB chief would you be? Strict or conservative?

“Mas liberal ako. But I have to respect the board because I wouldn’t be acting by myself; there would always be a consensus. But I would be more flexible. I’m not saying that the previous board was not flexible pero mas liberal ako ng kaunti but not super-liberal. Siempre with the changing times, we have to always abide by the law.”

People might be curious about, among other things, the kind of movies that you want.

“I watch all kinds of movies. I remember that the last movie that I watched was Heneral Luna. Pumila talaga ako. I look forward to the trailers of Tagalog movies; I love Tagalog movies.”

What about “bold” movies?

“As long as the theme is not offensive, or they don’t portray anything that might have negative effect on moviegoers, then it would be okay. Basta huwag lang bastos.”

Are you going to continue the practice of “blackening” scenes perceived to be “explicit” (such as Fifty Shades of Grey)?

(The MTRCB lady lawyer who sat by during the Conversation said that the copy of Fifty Shades of Grey submitted for review was already “pre-regulated” by the exhibitor. “We don’t do ‘blackening’ anymore,” she clarified.)

“We would encourage producers and exhibitors to self-regulate themselves so there would be less problem and less conflict. Things would be better that way.”

How were you brought up as far as the arts were concerned?

“People refer to my mother as a patroness of the arts and my grandmother was an opera singer. I watched her every concert and my friends were surprised why I could sing my grandma’s songs. Here or when we are abroad, my mom would always encourage us to visit museums and art houses, so I would say that I am quite abreast of the arts.” (Baby Arenas is a good friend of then Mother [now] Saint Theresa and of then Padre [now] Saint Pio.)

What kind of books do you read?

“Well, I read all kinds of books. I read the novels by James Patterson. The last book that I read was The Fallen Angel. I’ve been also reading the famous quotations of Pres. Ramos and  Endless Journey by Gen. Jose Almonte.”

What‘s the sexiest movie that you have seen?

“Quite a lot. But I distinctly remember watching Unfaithful (starring Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez in an explicitly passionate illicit affair). Yes, I’ve watched quite a lot of very sexy movies. There are many sexy movies na hindi naman bastos.” (I mentioned Shame, starring Michael Fassbender as a sex-addicted executive and offered to give Rachel a copy…uncensored.) “I’m curious about that. I would love to watch that. It would help educate me. Private viewing lang. By the way, I also love watching TV shows, such as Scandal and House of Cards, and Greatest Love (on ABS-CBN).”

What movies make you cry?

“Napapaluha ako doon sa scenes between a mother and a daughter (Greatest Love, with Sylvia Sanchez and Dimples Romana) at doon sa mga inaapi. I also cried when I watched Love Me Tomorrow (a love story between an older woman, played by Dawn Zulueta, and a younger man, Piolo Pascual). Mababaw ang luha ko. I am a cry baby.”

Will you be more strict with foreign films than with local films?

“Uhm, we would treat both foreign and local films equally and fairly. Foreign films could teach us some things and vice-versa.”

What about TV shows?

“I was here all day yesterday and I saw that we have several people closely monitoring TV shows. Maybe we would be more strict with TV shows because they are so accessible to young people.”

Have you heard about Mocha taking note of what she called “soft porn” in TV shows?

“We haven’t really defined what ’soft porn’ is. Maybe we should discuss it with the board.”

Are you also going to regulate Internet films?

“That’s one thing that I will have to seriously discuss with the board.”

What do you expect from your board?

“Even if the board is not complete yet, I would meet with the members soon and find out what their issues are. I also want to know about the background of each of them. There would be diversity of views and opinions, I guess, but in the end, we have to arrive at a consensus.”

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