The Philippine Senate has approved on third and final reading a measure that seeks to abolish the Optical Media Board (OMB) and transfer its functions to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
Sponsored by Senator Robin Padilla, the bill aims to align government agencies with the digital era and strengthen enforcement of intellectual property protections.
The OMB, currently under the Office of the President, regulates the production, use, and distribution of optical recording media.
Senators Win Gatchalian and Jinggoy Estrada had earlier filed separate proposals to abolish the agency.
Gatchalian noted that the OMB was created to address piracy linked to disc-based media, while IPOPHL is better equipped to handle modern, technology-driven methods of protecting intellectual property rights.
Under the measure, IPOPHL will absorb employees of the OMB Secretariat without reducing their salaries or benefits.
Personnel who may be separated from service due to the abolition will receive separation benefits in accordance with existing laws.
The bill will now be transmitted to the House of Representatives for consideration, where no counterpart measure has yet been filed.