THESE days, if children aren’t glued to their video games or listening to their music players, they are most probably watching television. And with the fast-paced lives of parents, sometimes they are not able to monitor the shows their kids are watching.

Forty percent of the Philippine population are children. It is important for parents to monitor and make sure that they are watching quality shows that will help them in their needs and aid in their development.

These are the things that the National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT) take note of. Established through the Children’s Television Act of 1997, NCCT aims to develop, promote and support quality TV programs for Filipino children to aid in their becoming productive citizens with a strong sense of national identity.

“Just because there are children in the show, it doesn’t mean the show is for children,” says NCCT executive director Alice A. Pañares. “It has to be meant for children, answering their needs and recognizing their levels. And since they are very vulnerable, we should not expose them to violence or give them wrong role models.”

NCCT also wants to educate the mothers and the househelp in choosing the right programs for children. “The children cannot be left on their own to watch [TV],” Pañares says. “There is a need to know how to watch and how to be astute consumers of media.” 

NCCT also seeks to empower children as the country celebrates the International Children’s Day for Broadcasting (ICDB) on December 9, with the theme “The World We Want.” Spearheaded by Unicef, the ICDB is celebrated on the second Sunday of every December when thousands of broadcasters around the world air quality programming for and about children, and involve children in the programming process.

“The purpose of ICDB is to devote just one day a year for children. Children figure very little in TV and radio content,” says Unicef communications assistant Alexis Rodrigo. “The networks just have to skew their programming for the day to anything and everything about children.” 

The NCCT will spearhead a special activity in celebration of the ICDB with the Philippine Information Agency and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. “Kidspeak!” is a children’s festival where children will comment on the current TV shows and advertisements airing in the country.

To be held at the University Hotel of the University of the Philippines for a whole day, “Kidspeak!” will invite children to watch television shows and advertisements, encouraging them to express their reactions, suggestions and feelings, to speak their minds. “We will have 150 to 200 children aged 9 to 18 from public and private schools, out-of-school youth, indigenous children, and children with special needs,” says Pañares.

After watching the shows and advertisements, children can have a fun time with art workshops, games and raffle prizes.

Television watching should be more than just for passing time and calming hyperactive kids. The ICDB is an effective way of ensuring that children are watching quality programs and advertisements. So mark your calendars and make sure that your kids are glued to the tube on December 9, with tasty—and healthy—food to make their TV watching more enjoyable.

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