‘MTRCB poorly implemented intelligent viewing program’

MANILA, Philippines -  The Commission on Audit (COA) has called the attention of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) over the agency’s implementation of its Matalinong Panonood (MP) program.

In its 2016 performance audit report on MTRCB, the COA said of the 61 priority areas chosen to benefit from the MP program, only three were actually covered by the MTRCB.

The MP program aims to educate communities on responsible selection of movies and television shows for appropriate certain age groups.

“However, out of the 61 areas, only three – Pangasinan, Bukidnon and Ilocos Norte – representing 4.92 percent were covered in accordance to the draft plan. The MP program was not held in areas included in the draft plan due to reasons such as time conflict with the resource person, no communication with the contact persons and unpleasant weather,” the report read.

The provinces included in the MP draft plan for 2016 were Pangasinan, Bukidnon, Abra, Cotabato, Marinduque, Ilocos Norte, Sarangani, Guimaras, Sulu, Basilan, Siquijor, Camiguin and Sorsogon.

Instead of reaching these areas, the state auditors said the MTRCB held the program several times in areas that were not even in the draft plan, such as in Aklan (twice) and at the Ateneo de Manila (eight times).

“The places selected by the agency were not those which needed the program most. Hence, (the) information campaign could not have been effectively communicated to concerned areas,” the COA said.

Despite the very low coverage, state auditors in its report released on Tuesday revealed the MTRCB still spent P3.27 million out of the P5.68-million budget for the MP program for 2016.

The COA said the MTRCB should conduct a review of its planning and selection strategy to ensure coverage of areas with wider population. 

The MP program has three principal objectives: to empower parents and responsible adults; to determine the media and entertainment that children should have access to; to help viewers have a clearer understanding and appreciation of the MTRCB’s ratings and classification system for film and television.