Senator Gatchalian seeks abolition of OMB

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill that aims to abolish the Optical Media Board (OMB), which takes charge of the regulation of media products such as CDs and DVDs in the country.

Gatchalian, author of Senate Bill 1654, said that the OMB’s purpose was no longer relevant in the current digital landscape and pushed for funding to be provided to agencies that address current technological demands instead.

The bill aims to transfer the OMB’s functions and resources to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), with a shift towards strengthening efforts against digital piracy.

“Designed for a disc-based piracy economy, the OMB is no longer the optimal agency to address the challenges of a digital age,” he said.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada filed a bill to eliminate the OMB in 2023, but it remained at the committee stage until the end of the 19th Congress in June 2025. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News