Parents urged to monitor kids’ TV viewing

PARENTS should always monitor and ensure that their children are watching appropriate television shows for their age, said Anak TV Secretary General Mag Cruz Hatol.

Anak TV is an organization advocating for child-friendly programs to be shown over Philippine television. They also advocate television stations to produce more Filipino-based children show.

Hatol noted that about five percent of television shows in the country are Filipino produced shows for kids while more than 90 percent are foreign-based shows for kids.

“Most of the shows now had violent contents that are not suitable for children,” said Hatol during the press launching of the Sinebata Festival.

This is noticed on popular primetime shows and even on news reports wherein violence are being highlighted rather than positive news.

“Which is why we are asking producers and television stations to once again produce television shows for kids that are Filipino-based; but sadly our television is now penetrated by Western-based children shows like Barney, Dora, Sesame Street and this gives impression to the children that they are from other places and not Filipinos,” said Hatol.

However, producers are having dilemma in producing Filipino-based children show as most advertisers choose to put their product advertisement on what is popular like the teledramas (drama series), he said.

“That is one of the reasons why only few children shows exist right now unlike before that almost every day there are children shows produced by Filipinos shown over television,” Hatol explained.

With the popularity of telenovelas, Hatol advised parents and adults to be keen in supervising children while they are watching television.

He added that there should be limitations on hours that the children should spent watching TV. (Leyte Samar Daily Express))