Two major panels at the House of Representatives approved on Monday a substitute bill that seeks to officially abolish the Optical Media Board (OMB), citing the technological shift from physical discs to digital streaming.
During a joint hearing, the Committee on Public Information and the Committee on Government Reorganization cleared the unnumbered substitute measure, which consolidates House Bills 8686, 8797, 8858, and 9083. Once enacted into law, the bill will effectively repeal the Optical Media Act of 2003, also known as Republic Act 9239.
Bulacan 5th District Representative Agatha “Agay” Cruz, who presided over the joint session, explained that the legislative move is part of ongoing efforts to modernize state operations and eliminate redundant agency functions.
“Before us this afternoon are four measures proposing for the abolition of the Optical Media Board, legislative proposals that recognize the need to streamline bureaucracy while ensuring that governance remains effective, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the people,” Cruz said.
Cruz acknowledged that the OMB once served a vital purpose in combating the rampant piracy of compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs) in the early 2000s. However, she noted that rapid technological advancements have rendered physical optical media largely obsolete.
“has fundamentally transformed the way content is created, distributed, and consumed.”
Despite the decline of optical discs, the Bulacan lawmaker emphasized that the fight against piracy is far from over, as copyright infringement has simply migrated online.
To address this modern challenge, the bill mandates that the existing regulatory powers and functions of the OMB be transferred to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to ensure continuity in protecting intellectual property rights in the digital era.