For his part, Monsi Alfonso Serrano, founder of THEPHILBIZNEWS, who went to Ukraine several times to painstakingly complete the documentary said, “This film was made not for profit, not for ratings, but out of a shared responsibility to bear witness—and to tell the truth with humanity. In a world shaped by conflict and disinformation, independent storytelling remains one of the most powerful bridges between nations and people. THEPHILBIZNEWS may be far from the country’s largest media organizations, but despite limited resources, this non-commercial documentary proves that even micro media can illuminate stories the world ought to see. This is a story that does not ask for our attention—it asks for our conscience.”

The documentary will be showcased through a private screening in the Philippines, made possible through the presentation of the Araneta Group of Companies, Araneta City, Gateway Cineplex, and UniProm Inc.

GCash, RCBC, FintechAlliance.Ph, ES Print Media Inc., Asia Manila Prime Properties, Hotel Okura Manila, and Discovery Suites Manila, Philippines further support the non-commercial production.

With MTRCB approval secured, Hope for the Dawn to Come stands as a testament to responsible Philippine documentary filmmaking and the enduring power of storytelling to foster empathy, awareness, and solidarity across borders.

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Last week in my column last Saturday where I made mention of a blasphemous movie “The Last Temptation of Christ;” and how I was able to stop its being shown in our country like many other countries did.  The Philippines is the biggest Christian nation in Asia; and the third or fourth largest Catholic country in the world – if I am not mistaken.

As I have mentioned, our law does not allow us to show a movie insulting any religion.  We cannot approve a movie insulting Christ, nor a film insulting Mohammad.

Now another blasphemous movie is scheduled to be released this June to August, according to Mr. Rey Topacio who warned our people to help spread the news.  The movie is entitled “Corpus Christi” which means “Body of Christ,” …“a revolting mockery of Our Lord.”  He wishes to inform all Christians to help stop such offenses against Our Lord.  According to Mr. Topacio that some regions in Europe have agreed to ban the film.

During my term as MTRCB Chairman from 1986 to 1992, all I did was not to sign the importation permit.  All foreign made movies must acquire import permits from the MTRCB which would be presented to the Central Bank to acquire its importation permit.  But it needs an endorsement from the MTRCB before the Central Bank can act on it.

If this information is true (and most probably it is) for it was a stage play for many years in Broadway made into a movie.  Our MTRCB must be in the look out.  I suggest that they find out the name of the producer by talking to the local distributors in the Philippines this early.

In the case of “The Last Temptation of Christ,” I was given a betamax tape of said movie by a former classmate of mine in the U.S., warning me to do something about it as it is blasphemous and was banned by many States in the U.S., Europe and some countries in Asia.

As I said, Israel banned the film as well.  When I reviewed the tape of “The Last Temptation of Christ,” it could not be allowed by our law for it to be shown in our cinemas all over the country.  Please don’t ask me anymore to explain why for it is bad enough to explain what I saw.  If I remember correctly, the movie was produced/directed by Martin Scorsese, an ex-priest.

During my MTRCB Chairmanship, there were times I occasionally invited responsible persons as guests to sit in the review of a sensitive movie to get their opinion and comments.  They do contribute wise and prudent opinion.  Though they have no powers to sign to approve or disapprove, there were times during my term that I needed the support of responsible parents in classifying a movie either for general patronage, parental guidance and for those suitable for adult only.

The Chairman of the MTRCB does not review films, as a general rule. But if the Chairman has the time to sit for review of a movie, he or she can.  The MTRCB has 30 board members who are given assignments in groups of 3 to review a film.  The Chairman can approve the decision of the 3, or compose a group of 5 to review a film, if in doubt, and to give their opinion for or against the decision of the 3, in cases of sensitive movies.

During my term, I required 17 board members (majority) to sit in review of very sensitive movies.  There is nothing wrong with that.  I won’t mention the name of the movies.  A few were outright pornographic that even if I allow to cut some scenes, it cannot be given a permit for public exhibition that only the Chairman can sign.  A great responsibility indeed.

Let me relate to you a foreign movie that was passed by my 3 board members then and approved it.  I decided to sit in review to be sure that it can be shown publicly.  It was definitely a pornographic movie which was entered in the Cannes Film Festival and “won an award,” as the representative and distributor here in Manila told me.  I won’t mention his name, but I know that he is still around.

I told him, if I sanitize this movie by cutting the obscene parts, nothing would be left.  How can a film with breasts and organs flying all over the screen be sanitized?  I told the distributor of this foreign movie that if I allow for the film to be sanitized, you won’t even have enough for a trailer of it to be shown on TV to promote the film.

I told him that I am “deporting” the film back to America; and to tell the producer/director to eat his film.  There was no way for me to give it a permit for public exhibition in the theaters.  It’s against Philippine Law.  Period.  We have no X-rated theaters here.

The distributor repeated that it got an award in the Cannes Film Festival.  I told him that the award means nothing to me for it was viewed by film critics.  What he was asking for was a permit from me to be shown in all the public cinemas in the country.  In the U.S. and other countries, it was X-rated and shown in X-rated theaters.  But our law does not allow any X-rated theaters in the country.  We are not sophisticated enough as a people; and also because we are a Catholic and Christian nation.

One of the 3 board members (a lady) who approved it in the first review said to be well-connected in Malacañang sued me in court.  I won the case.  The court sustained my decision.

So as I said, I “deported” the film back to America.  I told the distributor, if you insist, I will not sign all the movies he will present to the board.  He got the message loud and clear, and did not insist anymore.

By the way, I meant what I said.  I would rather resign than give a permit for public exhibition of a film contrary to law.  And as a Catholic, I really cannot be a party to what runs contrary to my faith.

I am speaking for myself.  Why do I say this?  Because I do not agree with some of the members of the Church hierarchy who keep gnashing their teeth and egging President Duterte to “quarrel” with them.  They took a vow of humility.  They should turn “the other cheek.”  Medyo napapalayo na at naliligaw na ang ilan sa kanila “preaching” the wrong message, contrary to what Christ told them to be.          

For comments and suggestions email at mlmorato@yahoo.com

The movie is a very powerful medium that needs good assessment before showing them in the movie theaters or cinemas.  That’s the big role the MTRCB, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, has to attend to.  But the most powerful medium is the television for it invades the privacy of every home – without permission.  Maski mga bata masasagasaan ng pelikula na hindi angkop sa kanilang edad.  Sa sinehan, may classification ang for minors or general patronage; or for adult rating or even x-rating, if the film is not suitable for public exhibition due to extreme violence, salacious, obscene; or simply against the law, which is well defined in the Revised Penal Code.

Honestly, there are times I see foreign movies shown on Sky Cable that are extremely violent, gory, sadistic and cruel.  The MTRCB is not a censorship board but a regulatory board with powers to cut, shorten or extricate very violent and gory and sadistic scenes; or those lewd scenes bordering on obscenity or outright obscene.  That’s prohibited by the law and it should be controlled by the MTRCB.  Their responsibility to the public at large must always prevail.  It’s a great responsibility on each and every board member.

Allow me to give an example on what I went through as MTRCB Chairman from 1986 to 1992.  I was told, I had the longest tenure of six years during President Cory’s term; and I was told most Chairman lasted for less than six years.  But it was a hell of a job disciplining an undisciplined film industry.  It was right after Martial Law and the so-called “Concerned Artists Group” suddenly arose to have “total freedom” when Martial Law was lifted in 1986, the year I was appointed to the MTRCB as Chairman by President Cory.  To her credit, she never intruded nor interfered in the way I ran the MTRCB, attacked by the so-called Concerned Artists Group “as being too strict.”  But I had to follow the law; and stop the proliferation of “bomba films,” or pornographic movies.  It took me the first two years to make the film industry na nagwawala to understand what I had to do.  They wanted “total freedom of expression” and I got back at them that there is no such thing as “total freedom of expression” for our Constitution itself says (more or less) that the moment you hurt your fellowmen, they are no longer free.  They lose their so-called “total freedom of expression.”  There are limits to everything in life.  Total freedom, to me, is to do good, not bad and against the law.

Total freedom, to me, is to do good, not to do bad and against the law.  A movie is bigger than life.  It’s exaggerated for cinematic effect.  It’s not real.  It’s only a reel, not real.  Ang problema ang may masamang kaisipan, ginagaya ang nakikita sa pelikula.  Nakakakuha sila ng masasamang gawain.  Very bad for the criminally inclined.  They see the movie as something real when it’s only a reel!

Imagine the pornographic movies which insult the sensibilities of both the young and the old.  The young can be tormented and lose their moral compass and value formation.  Those of age can also be affected.  They go nuts, crazy when enticed and when tempted, they rape and do things they should not do – all because of what they saw in the movies.  That’s how great the impact of movies can have on the people.  I have read studies from the U.S. that those living in the big cities have access to X-rated moviehouses.  X-rated theaters (not too many) are allowed in the seedy areas of a big city with 5 million population and above.  The crime rate was very high compared to smaller communities with less than 5 million population where X-rated theaters are not allowed.  The crime was much, much lower than those cities with X-rated theaters.  This is the message I wish to put across.  I had the most difficult job from 1986 to 1992.  But through hard work, including going through rallies against the board, I dialogued with the film industry (both movie and television) to follow the law; and they did after two years of arguing with each other.

The movie, “The Last Temptation of Christ” I was able to stop from being shown in our country without having to quarrel with the foreign producer nor their local distributor.  How could I allow it when the law prohibits any film that insults any religion.  I simply did not sign the importation permit.  It had been banned in several States in the U.S., in Europe and many other countries.  Even Israel banned it too.

But the so-called Concerned Artists Group “made a lot of noise” why I banned it.  I did not.  It never entered our country because I simply did not sign the importation permit.  How can I “ban” something that did not arrive in the country?  I must admit that I saw the tape on betamax at the time sent to me by a friend in the U.S.  it definitely could not be shown in the country because of our existing law.  Britain has a very strict film board, but people never complained for it’s only proper what they are doing.  The Film Board is based in New York and most of the board members are parents.  They, too, have the last say when rating a film.

I read that there is another sensitive film entitled “Corpus Christi” which means “The Body of Christ” due to be released around June to August of this year and there is a call from all Christians to stop its showing.  I will explain in my next column on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

For comments and suggestions email at mlmorato@yahoo.com