MANILA, Philippines – Nearly a thousand college students and various media stakeholders recently gathered at the 3rd Family and Child Summit (FCS3) held at the Maria Josefina Auditorium of St. Mary’s College in Quezon City.
Organized by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), the event tackled the theme, “Matalinong Panonood Para sa Kabataan.” It sought to give participants an overview of the media and entertainment they see, as well as information on the different initiatives being done by both public and private sectors, to address issues on audience-sensitivity and content age-appropriateness.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of the FCS3. It has been a fruitful coming together of the MTRCB and its various stakeholders, including its deputies and other volunteers, to empower the Filipino family. A vital component of the family is, of course, the youth,” said MTRCB chair Eugenio “Toto” Villareal.
The program included lectures and panel discussions by academicians, TV personalities and other resource persons, including Education Sec. Bro. Armin Luistro.
Sr. Consolata Manding, director of the Paulines Institute for Communication in Asia, encouraged the youth to practice the so-called “media diet” or being selective with their media “intake” and choose only what’s best for their spiritual and mental health.
Other guest speakers were former commissioner of the 1987 Constitutional Commission Dr. Bernardo Villegas; Nicco de Jesus, president of the Marketing and Opinion Research Society of the Philippines; Josa Marie Salazar of the National Council for Children’s Television; Yayo Aguila and daughter Nielli Martinez; Danica Sotto-Pingris with her kids; and MTRCB board member Bibeth Orteza with her son Rafa Siguion-Reyna.
Also present during the event were news personalities Suzi Entrata-Abrera, Pia Arcangel, Niña Corpuz, Ginger Conejero, Shawn Yao, JP Ong; as well as father and son Niño and Alonzo Muhlach, among others.