FILE PHOTO: Dindo Manhit, shown here at a 2020 forum, is the founder and president of Stratbase ADR Institute. | PHOTO: Facebook page of Stratbase ADR Institute
MANILA, Philippines — International think tank Stratbase Institute pushed to pass Senate Bill 2150, which seeks to block Filipino users from accessing piracy websites to strengthen the Intellectual Property Code.
In a statement on Tuesday, Stratbase President Dindo Manhit cited findings from a study by the United States-based Motion Pictures Association (MPA) that site-blocking reduced online piracy by a worldwide average of 90 percent.
Manhit said, “Online piracy thrives on a simple supply-and-demand dynamic. To break this cycle, we must strike at the root by aggressively cutting off the supply. It’s time to take bold action and show zero tolerance for these illegal operators.”
“The Site Blocking Bill is our strongest weapon. Let’s use it to dismantle piracy networks and send a clear message. We will not stand by while our economy and national security are undermined,” he added.
Stratbase also cited data from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), which projected a loss of up to $1 billion or roughly P58.95 billion in revenue by 2027 if piracy websites remained accessible.
In 2023, the Intellectual Property Rights Office of the Philippines pushed for the bill to mandate internet service providers to block piracy websites.
READ: Blocking of sites with pirated content pushed
Moreover, Manhit raised alarm at uncurbed online piracy’s threat to the creative industry, citing the same MPA study that found 63 of the 100 most popular streaming sites in the Philippines were piracy websites.
The country’s largest media network, ABS-CBN, ranked fourth, behind a piracy site, he added.
In the Stratbase statement, Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment Content Protection Counsel Daniel Lye said, “The loss in revenue results in budget cuts and layoffs within the film industry, impacting not only actors and directors but also crew members, support staff, and other related professionals.”
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the creative economy contributed to P1.72 trillion or 7.1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines also previously called for the SB 2150’s passage, also highlighting the need to protect the country’s creative industries and bolster cybersecurity, especially in light of the upcoming 2025 national and local elections.
READ: Pass site-blocking bill before election fever heats up – group
Manhit added that Filipinos were especially vulnerable to online piracy, citing an Asian Video Industry Association (AVIA) study finding that the Philippines is the second-largest consumer of pirated online content in Asia-Pacific.
The AVIA said 70 percent of Filipinos access pirated materials, behind Vietnam’s 71 percent.
Manhit said, “As a result, Filipino consumers are nearly 30 times more likely to encounter cyber threats when using piracy sites compared to mainstream websites.”
SB 2150 was filed on May 9, 2023 by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who was an actor prior to entering politics.