Senate OKs bill abolishing Optical Media Board on 3rd reading
By Dhel Nazario
Published Mar 10, 2026 09:03 am
At A Glance
- The Senate on Monday, March 9, approved on third and final reading Senate Bill 1654, which seeks to abolish the Optical Media Board (OMB).
The Senate on Monday, March 9, approved on third and final reading Senate Bill 1654, which seeks to abolish the Optical Media Board (OMB).
In a unanimous vote, senators approved on third reading Senate Bill No. 1654, which seeks to abolish the Optical Media Board (OMB) and transfer its powers and functions to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), during Monday’s plenary session, March 9, 2026. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Robinhood Padilla. (Senate of the Philippines)
Senator Robinhood Padilla, who sponsored the bill, said the agency has outlived its relevance as disc-based piracy has largely disappeared with the shift from physical media to the digital space.
In his explanation of vote on the plenary floor, Padilla emphasized the need to modernize the country’s system against piracy to keep pace with rapid technological change.
“I rise to explain my yes vote for Senate Bill No. 1654, which seeks to abolish the Optical Media Board and transfer its powers and functions to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines,” Padilla said.
Padilla noted that the OMB was established in 2004 under Republic Act No. 9239 to address widespread piracy of physical media such as CDs and DVDs.
However, over time, the way people consume films, music, and other digital content has changed significantly.
“Today, most content is already consumed through digital and streaming platforms, so it is only appropriate that we align our institutions with the present times,” Padilla said.
He cited reports showing that in 2022, around 20 million Filipinos downloaded content from illegal sites, resulting in $781 million in losses for the local film industry. If digital piracy is not addressed, the number of illegal users could reach 31 million, with $1 billion in losses to the Philippine film industry by 2027.
Under the proposed measure, the core functions of the OMB will be transferred to IPOPHL, an agency with a broader mandate and greater capacity to enforce intellectual property rights in the digital age.
Padilla also stressed that the welfare of OMB personnel will be protected under the bill.
Meanwhile, the bill's author, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, said the measure will strengthen the country's capacity to combat piracy and promote efficiency in the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
He noted how the OMB was designed for a disc-based piracy economy and that IPOPHL possesses a technology-neutral and system-wide mandate to protect and enforce intellectual property rights.