The Optical Media Board (OMB) has outlived its purpose and would best be abolished, Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada said on Tuesday, Feb. 21, as he filed Senate Bill No. 1904.
“The significant technological advancements in the media landscape rendered the use of video tapes and compact discs obsolete. Today, movies and television series are consumed through digital and online platforms and streaming services. Ang mandato na dapat ginagampanan ng OMB ay hindi na makabuluhan o naaayon sa kasalukuyang panahon,” Estrada said.
In pursuing the legislation of SB 1904 or the proposed “Act Abolishing The OMB, Created By Virtue of Republic Act 9239, Otherwise Known As The Optical Media Act of 2003, And For Other Purposes,” Estrada said the conception and implementation of regulatory policies of the board were due to the proliferation of film piracy, most of which were illegally circulated and physically stored in optical media.
These activities greatly affected the operations of movie houses and theaters, causing a sharp decline in cinema attendance and substantial losses to government revenues, the senator said in explaining the enactment of RA 9239 which reorganized the Videogram Regulatory Board (VRB) and paved the way for the creation of OMB aimed at ensuring the protection and promotion of intellectual property rights.
Estrada first broached the idea of abolishing the OMB during last year’s budget deliberations when he suggested the transfer of its functions to other executive offices, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in particular, noting the agency’s dismal performance in the past years.
“There was a steady decline in the estimated value of seized items in the last five years, from P763 million in 2018 to P305,000 in 2022. Also, no new administrative cases were filed against violators of RA 9236 last year and by own admission of the OMB, this is because DVDs are not used anymore,” he said.
OMB is literally monitoring and regulating an already obsolete industry, Estrada stressed, pointing out that the storage medium and devices under the agency’s regulatory control are phased out already.
To address the displacement of OMB personnel, Estrada proposed to have some of them be absorbed by the FDCP, transferred to other agencies, or given separation benefits should they opt to retire from service.
