PARAÑAQUE City Representative Edwin Olivarez wants all television networks to air at least one regular program of purely educational content.

In filing House Bill 2583 or the proposed Educational Television Shows Act of 2022, Olivarez pushed for at least 50 hours of educational content running in all television networks per year.

“As we gain heaps of milestones in terms of technological advances, it is feared that such technological achievements also provide various distractions and disincentives for the youth to learn,” Olivarez said in his explanatory note.

The lawmaker lamented that nowadays it is difficult for people to distinguish false information from facts.

“Clearly, there is a need to re-awaken the people’s thirst for knowledge and passion for learning if we want to keep making the world a better place,” he added.

The measure aims to revive the educational programs that we used to regularly see on television specifically focused on teaching Science, Mathematics, Arts, History, Language and other academic disciplines.

The measure mandates the National Telecommunications Commission to develop a system to monitor the compliance of all TV networks.

The NTC shall review and determine whether a television show can be classified or not as purely educational program.

Under the measure, failure to air a regular program of educational content within one year shall be a ground for the imposition of fine in the amount of P1 million.