THE MOVIE and Television Review and Classification Board used to be known as a bunch of conservative, eager-to-cut holy rollers, disputing every cuss word, breast exposure and pumping scene that came on the screen. Well, a new sheriff came into town last July 1, 1998: producer Armida Siguion-Reyna assumed office as chairman. It's been a year since that historic day, so we thought it was for a little catching up of sorts. How is the chairman these days?

Major changes

It's been one year since you've been in office. What do you think are the major changes that you've brought about in the board?

Number one, while pursuing freedom of expression, we have shown respect for the filmmaker and most especially, to the viewing public by giving them a choice kung anong pelikula ang gusto nilang panoorin. Wala na yung maraming bawal. We shifted the responsibility to the parents of the youth today because we believe that only the parents have the authority to determine what they will allow their minors to see.

I think that's a major achievement. Dahil kasi kung hindi naging liberal yung board, you would not have seen movies like "Shakespeare in Love," "Jose Rizal," "Kahapon May Dalawang Bata," "Pusong Mamon", and many others. They would not have escaped the butchery of the past boards.

What goals haven't you achieved yet?

You know, the spirit and intent of PD 1986, is for MTRCB to serve as a transition to eventual self-regulation by the industry. And I think we were able to achieve that. Maybe not yet 100 percent but I would say siguro, if I were to give the new board a rating on a scale of 1 to 10, I think we have achieved a 7. Rome was not built in a day kaya perhaps I will not see the full blossoming of the industry in my lifetime. But what we are doing today is to effect a climate for the future generation of filmmakers. So that the situation 10 or 20 years from now hindi katulad ng ngayon.

We are trying to help the industry mature and respect the viewing public. Hindi maaaring "Ay, puwede na yan!" dahil bakya naman yung manonood. Wala nang bakya ngayon, eh. And the sad irony is, it is our competition that has raised the level of appreciation of the viewing public. Let's not talk about "Independence Day" or "Star Wars" or mga "Titanic." Hindi kaya ng local films ang budget ng mga yan. But even simple dramas like "Stepmom." That's not a very expensive film to produce. Nakikita na ng mga tao na bakit ang film na ganyan, ang ganda-ganda, bakit ang local film, bakit baboy ang trabaho? We cannot disapprove a movie, no matter how badly made it may be. Because we cannot tell producers, disapprove ang pelikula mo dahil pangit ang pagkagawa.

PG-13 classification

One of the major things you did was the PG 13 classification, which allowed viewers below 13 to watch the movie, so long as an adult was present, which has not yet been done before.

But even among the board members today, nahihirapan sila sa provision na yun. Ang feeling nila, "Ay! Ang below 13 ko, mapapanood ang 'Saving Private Ryan'? It's so violent!" Ang sabi ko sa kanila, "huwag mong samahan kung ayaw mo mapanood ng anak mo. You fear that some of the TV shows are so vulgar, mga noontime shows--huwag mong panoorin." I cannot really brand a particular TV show as pornographic or obscene. You cannot legislate taste--even congress cannot do that. Because you cannot expect everybody to have the same taste in everything you do in life. Sabi ko nga doon sa mga nagrereklamo--ang MTRCB walang magagawa sa mga vulgar shows na yan.

But you did call the attention of the two TV stations because of certain shows…

Oh yes, we warned them. But that's all we can do. Kasi panoorin mo naman yung show, very naughty--yung kay Rosanna sa "Startalk." It's bad taste, sometimes--she'll guest mga government officials, tapos, hahawakan niya sa hita, hinahalikan niya… mawa-warningan mo lang yun. Hindi mo masasara because of that. It's a matter of opinion. Sa iyo, malaswa iyon. Sa iba, hindi. Di ba? Pero , we did warn "Startalk," "Mel and Jay" and "Magandang Tanghali Bayan." Pero ngayon, ang "MTB" nagbe-behave. We really gave them a stern warning.

We get letters from mga Sangguniang Bayan with board resolutions asking the MTRCB not to allowing starlets to use vulgar names. How can we do that naman?

People ask how we can tolerate all this pornography in movies. Do they know what pornography is? I can honestly say that in my last 20 years in the industry, I have never actually real pornography. Ang porno movie, mga napapanood mo sa mga sex channels, especially in hotels abroad, di ba? Yun ang porno, walang istorya, the whole hour, that's what it is. Wala pa namang local movie na ganoon. Maski foreign.

But I really wonder about the point of what we're doing, because if they can rent a video tape na talagang porno, para no pa ang MTRCB? Nanonood sila ng mga cable na pinapalabas na porno. Of course mapapasara namin ang cable station na iyon. Only if we catch them. But we cannot catch them--it takes money to monitor everything.

There are 900 cable operators throughout the Philippines, each one with the capability of operating 45 channels. There are about 400 provincial TV stations. There are five major networks in Metro Manila, exhibiting at an average of 15 hours a day. And then 800 theaters all over the Philippines. How can 41 members of the review board of MTRCB and 65 employees on the board possibly monitor all of this? Now, I can give a reasonable guarantee na walang lulusot sa amin diyan if we can effectively monitor it. But only if we get the proper budget. We asked for 74 million for this coming fiscal year, but I don't think we will get it. So I don't think we can do our job the way we would want to do it.

Strict implementation

Another major achievement is strict implementation of your rules and guidelines, for example, producers have to submit their materials on time or else they're not entertained.

The board has a period of 10 days from the day of submission to review the material. In other words, you submit the film July 1, the board has to review it before July 10. And first come first served kami diyan. Whether you are Viva, Star Cinema or Regal or a small independent movie producer na walang clout, pare-parehong treatment namin diyan. Walang kaibigan-kaibigan pag dating sa ganyang bagay. Because siyempre, kasamahan namin lahat sa industry yan. Kaibigan din natin lahat yan. So, ano ang magiging reason mo kung pinayagan mo si ganoon at ayaw mong payagan si ganyan?

Was it a difficult thing to do, to let the producers toe the line?

In the beginning. Ang kailangan lang, firm ka, dahil matitigas ang ulo at makukulit. Nasanay sila sa dating board na puro pakiusap: "Mr. Chairman, pakiusap naman, mamayang gabi na ang playdate ko." Eh gusto mo nang sigawan kung minsan, "Eh bakit ngayon ka lang nag-apply?" They expect you talaga to forget all your commitments and review their film.

What about the theaters themselves? Putting up the proper signs, etc.?

Kumokonti na yung nagpapahuli. May bagong gimik sila ngayon. Yung stand, dapat prominently displayed with the classification of the film. Ang ginagawa nila, siguro para makatipid sila sa stand, ang kabila, nakalagay GP, sa kabila, R. Aba, minsan nakikita mo, R yung movie, pero G yung naka-display. Tapos sasabihin ng theater, kasi nagkamali ho yung aming janitor. Eh, responsibility mo pa rin yun, kahit na sino ang nagkamali.

Closure

When you close theaters, puro temporary lang ba yun?

Puro temporary, wala pang permanent closure.

But you can, ano?

Of course. We can close a TV network. How can you close a network? If the network is blatantly advocating takeover of the government, or assassination of a government official. Puwede ipasara yan just like that. But normally, kung ano mang program ang nag-abuse, yun lang siyempre ang ika-cancel. Have you watched yung "Top 10 Movie Trailers of the Week" on TV. Off-the-air na. We suspended it for 13 weeks. Paano naman, they aired a trailer that was approved for the cinema, but not for television. That's serious. Kasi iba ang trailer sa cinema. Mas liberal ka doon ng konti, kahit GP yun, because unang-una, may deterrent na yun, eh. Pagpasok mo sa sine, babayad ka. Sa TV, wala, switch on ka lang.

So, after one year with the board, have you regretted your decision to be chairman of MTRCB?

No. Kasi malinaw na malinaw sa akin ang gagawin ko. But sometimes the job gets boring. When that time comes, I switch on my stereo in the room and I listen to classical music or opera, or sometimes I go upstairs to watch the movie with the board. Kasi parang nag-settle na ang board. Sanay na rin kami sa ginagawa namin, so magiging boring na talaga. One day, sabi ko sa executive director ko, "alam mo Dennis, kailangan maghanap na ako ng away."

I realize the power of the position. Talagang you can subdue anybody, if you wish to do so. Pero hindi ko naman mapapayagan ang sarili ko na umabuso.

Imagine, you can close a TV network…

Of course. Sa letter ko pa lang, nayayanig na sila.

Political pressure

Has political pressure been used to sway the board in any way?

No. Wala pa.

When you were interviewed before, you said you were giving yourself one to two years in the board. Is that still your timetable?

Yes. I said two years because I feel that within two years , the bills I'm supporting in Congress will get through. Para kahit na sino pa man ang chairman later on, hindi na maapi ang industry. Kasi rin naman, wala akong perks sa trabahong ito. Except pa minsan, pag kakain ako ng lunch, the office has a discretionary fund, at minsan, sila ang magbabayad ng lunch ko. Yun lang. O kaya, I have gas allowance.

But you can close a network.