MANILA, July 27, 2012—A Catholic priest urged the government to lay down clear-cut guidelines for monitoring television shows while encouraging the production of child-friendly programs.
Fr. Conegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) said the government must set strict standards and clear rules and regulations for television networks and practitioners who are partly responsible for shaping the minds and views of young people.
The Department of Education (DepEd), headed by Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC together with the National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT) officially launched last week the Children’s Television Act’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (CTA-IRR).
The IRR guidelines require local TV networks to allot at least 15 percent of daily airtime to child-friendly TV programs that are recommended for airing between 6 am and 9 pm.
“This is helpful for our youth on being prepared to have a productive part in the society,” Garganta said.
“And also, parents as the first teachers of children should use the guidelines as part of their teaching their children. But, they must be the first model to their children in supporting positive and helpful television programs.”
Television is one of the media that we can use to obtain information and knowledge, the priest also pointed out.
“Child-friendly shows [that stay within] the standards would be appropriate this time and will not be a competitor in molding the minds of children… These kinds of shows can help the children in their ability to pronounce words and also provide opportunities for their learning to be affirmed,” he added.
Meanwhile, Luistro said parents should not leave their responsibility of parenting to television.
“It is a fundamental obligation of the adults and a social responsibility of the networks to actively pursue child-friendly programming that can have a lasting imprint on the minds of our young,” Luistro also said.
Celebrity couples Julius Babao and Tintin Bersola-Babao, Anthony Pangilinan and Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Christopher Sommereux and Gladys Reyes-Sommereux, and Paolo Abrera and Suzi Entrata-Abrera were inducted as NCCT’s “celebrity champion couples” who will mobilize public interest by clamoring for more vigilant parenting in the face of television’s perceived adverse effects.
The IRR also recommended censorship for certain news programs that contain violent images. (Jandel Posion)
