Lawmaker bats for abolition of Optical Media Board

 

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Jinggoy Estrada is pushing for the abolition of the Optical Media Board (OMB), saying it is no longer relevant.

Estrada lodged Senate Resolution No. 1904 to abolish the OMB.

“Through the years, significant technological advancements in the media landscape rendered the use of video tapes and compact discs as obsolete,” the senator stated in his measure.

“During the conception and implementation of above-mentioned regulatory policies, films were pirated, illegally circulated and physically stored in optical media. Today, movies and television series are consumed through digital and online platforms and streaming services,” it added.

Estrada likewise noted the agency’s dismal performance in fighting piracy, saying that there was a “steady decline” in the estimated value of confiscated items from P763 million in 2018 to P305,000 in 2022.

No new administrative case, the senator said, was filed against violators of the Optical Media Act of 2003.

The bill likewise wants to transfer OMB’s assets and unexpended appropriations to the Film Development Council of the Philippines as it is gravely affected by film piracy.

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