SPG Rating Guidelines by MTRCB

The Circular is issued to implement the State’s duty to provide protection to the youth against illegal or improper activities that may prejudice their general well-being.
The Circular establishes that the welfare of children and the State’s responsibility as parens patriae is a substantial and compelling government interest in regulating the content of television broadcast.
The Circular provides that the best interests of children shall be the paramount consideration in all activities, actions, and proceedings concerning children, consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Circular directs the MTRCB to balance (1) the State’s interest to protect and promote the youth’s development and welfare and (2) the broadcast industry’s interest in full enjoyment of freedom of speech, considering self-regulatory schemes of broadcast networks.

The Circular recognizes Strong Parental Guidance (SPG) as a classification rating that suggests a stronger and more vigilant parental guidance for viewers.
Programs classified SPG may contain more serious themes that may not be advisable for children to watch except under very vigilant guidance and the presence of a parent or adult.
The SPG classification warns parents to exercise greater parental responsibility in their children’s viewing.
The Circular requires that an SPG program must still fall within the parameters of the existing Parental Guidance classification rating.
To merit an SPG rating, the gravity of the material must be, in the judgment of the Board, leaning towards the maximum allowable for Parental Guidance rating.

In determining the proper classification rating, the MTRCB considers the program’s purpose, genre, and time slot.
The MTRCB also considers the treatment and depiction of attendant factors, including: Theme, Violence, Drugs, Language, Sex, and Horror.
The Circular requires the MTRCB, in exercising judgment, to balance the State’s interest to protect youth welfare against the broadcast networks’ interest in freedom of expression.

A pictogram advisory must be accompanied by a full-screen written advisory with voice over stating that the program is classified as “Strong Parental Guidance.”
The pictogram and full-screen advisory with voice over must be broadcast for at least 20 seconds immediately before the opening credits of the program.
The same advisories must also be broadcast midway in the full airing of the television material classified as SPG.
The full-screen written advisory must specifically declare the content descriptors pertinent to the program being shown, including Theme, Violence, Drugs, Language, Sex, and Horror.
The Circular directs that the content descriptors must be declared as part of the advisory and must specifically cover the pertinent descriptors for that program.

The Circular requires a superimposed pictogram advisory showing capital letters “SPG” written on a red box with the phrase “Strong Parental Guidance Striktong Patnubay at Gabaya” at the bottom.
The pictogram advisory must be clearly superimposed at the bottom right corner of the television screen throughout the entire showing of the SPG program.
The superimposed pictogram may be placed in other parts of the television screen provided it is not done too often.
The text in the pictogram phrase “Strong Parental Guidance Striktong Patnubay at Gabaya” must be in font 10 of Arial-narrow solid white with black outline.
The Circular sets the pictogram advisory size at 32.5mm x 19.05mm.
The Circular prescribes the Filipino advisory text for opening and midway credits:
- “ANG PROGRAMANG ITO AY RATED SPG. STRIKTONG PATNUBAY AT GABAY NG MAGULANG ANG KAILANGAN, MAY MASELASL TEMA, EKSENANG KARAHASAN, DROGA, LENGGWAHE, SEKSWAL AT KATATAKUTANG MAAARING HINDI ANGKOP SA MGA BATANG MANONOOD.”

The Circular states that the suggested pictogram advisory and full-screen advisory with voice over in Filipino remain in effect until further revised by the Board.

The Circular provides that any violation must be handled under Section 11 of Presidential Decree No. 1986 and Chapter XIII of its 2004 revised Implementing Rules and Regulations.
The Circular includes a separability rule: if any provision is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the unaffected sections or provisions remain in full force and effect.