Survivor Philippines: Palau violated RA 9211

Submitted by kaloi on Sat, 09/26/2009 - 04:15

 

28 September 2009 

ATTY. FELIPE L. GOZON

Chairperson and CEO

GMA Network 

Dear Atty. Gozon, 

On behalf of our members in the tobacco control advocacy, we are writing this letter to express our utter disappointment to your program Survivor Philippines: Palau that was aired on September 16, 2009. 

Episode 23 featured your contestants being offered a stick of cigarette as a prize in the "truth or dare" individual challenge separately conducted to Airai Tribe and Koror Tribe. The cigarette "rewards" went to Cris Bolado (Airai Tribe) and Jef Gaitan (Koror Tribe). 

We find this grossly irresponsible as the team behind the program condoned the smoking addiction of their contestant Cris Bolado and virtually promoted smoking to Jef Gaitan who is not a smoker.  None of the castaways in the Koror Tribe smoked, but Gaitan received the reward nonetheless after initially rejecting it.  Instead of helping Bolado sustain the break in smoking when he was cast away for this game show, the people behind this program opted to use the deadly substance as a reward. 

It is rather alarming that your station unwittingly became an agent of tobacco companies in promoting a deadly product like cigarette that is already prohibited under the Tobacco Regulations Act or RA 9211. Section 23, letter e, restricting tobacco promotions states, “No placement shall be made by manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of any tobacco product or tobacco product packages and advertisement as a prop in any television program or motion picture produced for viewing by the general public or in a video, or optical disc or on video game machine.” 

We respectfully request your good office to seriously look into this matter and we shall be waiting for your response. We sincerely believe that GMA lives up to its banner, “Walang kinikilingan, walang pinoprotektahan. Serbisyong totoo lang.”  

You may reach us through this email address or through telephone numbers 332-0490 and 468-7222. 

Sincerely yours, 

MARICAR B. LIMPIN, MD

Executive Director