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December 8 - 21 , 2015
Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
As 2015 comes to a close , the MTRCB has fortified its resolve to strengthen , rationalize and improve its system of appointing deputies to help monitor compliance with laws , rules , and regulations governing the film and television ratings and classification system . As of October 2015 , around seventy percent ( 70 %) of its deputies have already submitted reports . This does not count the other ways by which deputies and volunteers have assisted the MTRCB , e . g . participation in various seminars , workshops , and conferences for discerning viewership ; consistent with the MTRCB ’ s vision of empowering the Filipino family as regards the media and entertainment it sees .
The MTRCB ’ s mandate is nationwide , and since it has only one ( 1 ) principal office in Metro Manila , with permanent
Strengthening and improving MTRCB ’ s deputy system employees of only around 50 , the scope of its monitoring functions is daunting . Thus , the law creating M T R C B ( Presidential Decree No . 1986 ) empowers the Board to appoint deputies . These deputies are not salaried employees of the government and the MTRCB simply relies on their spirit of service and volunteerism .
The above notwithstanding , the Board in the past months has introduced improvements in the appointment of deputies from the public , including the prior submission of a letter of intent even before one is given an application form . In this way , the Board ’ s Committee on Deputization can make a more studied determination as to who can be appointed a deputy . The MTRCB recognizes the need for a more effective monitoring system . In fact , it still continues to receive deputy reports via email and even text messages , and this to a certain extent is still consolidated manually .
Thus , aside from providing a facility for reporting in the agency ’ s website , the MTRCB early
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this year proposed to the national government as part of its Information S y s t e m s Strategic Plan ( ISSP ) a Deputy Management Information System . This system is meant to achieve effective management of all deputy-related transactions from data entry , generation and issuance of cards , the monitoring of monthly reports , and the cancellation of cards if warranted . The MTRCB is pleased to report that the Department of Budget and Management ’ s Medium Term Information and Communication Technology Harmonization Initiative ( MITHI ) Task Force recently approved the ISSP this November 2015 .
Aside from the many discerning viewership seminars participated in by its deputies with various sectors the past months , the MTRCB will be holding a Media Literacy ( including Updates on the Film and TV Rating System ) seminar specifically for deputies this December 2015 . On the administrative side , the MTRCB has been conducting adjudicatory hearings in regard to erring deputies and prosecuting cases involving alleged “ fake ” deputies .
With the above , the MTRCB can confidently say that it has actually been working on the ancillary observations in the agency ’ s 2014 audit report . Mindful though of their spirit of service , the Board is grateful to those deputies who have unselfishly devoted their time and effort to promote an environment of authentic self-regulation in the film and television industries .•