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BillSBN-165420th Congress

Abolishing the Optical Media Board

Filed Filed Jan 8, 2026
◷ Where it standsIn Filed
FiledCommittee2nd Reading3rd ReadingBicamEnacted

Filed on January 8, 2026, and referred to the Committees on Public Information and Mass Media, Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, and Finance; it has been pending in the House of Representatives since March 10, 2026, with no recorded action since then.

Should you care?
Relevance to you
Moderate

The bill addresses the regulatory framework for optical media in the Philippines.

Employees of the Optical Media BoardIntellectual Property Office of the PhilippinesBusinesses in the optical media sector
Timeliness
Routine

The bill is part of ongoing efforts to streamline government functions.

Affects you ifOptical media industry workersIntellectual Property Office employeesContent creatorsConsumers of optical media
Impact assessment
AI read — verify with source
Overall impact
4.3/ 10
Long title

Abolishing the Optical Media Board

Plain-language summary
✦AI Summary

This bill aims to abolish the Optical Media Board and transfer its powers and functions to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). It includes provisions for the absorption of affected personnel and the transfer of properties and resources to IPOPHL.

What this bill actually requires
RequiresAbolishes the Optical Media Board (OMB) under Republic Act No. 9239.
RequiresTransfers all powers and functions of the OMB to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
RequiresAbsorbs employees of the OMB without salary reduction and provides separation benefits for those affected.
FundsFunds necessary for implementation shall be sourced from current appropriations of the OMB and included in IPOPHL's annual budget.
DeadlineThis Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its publication.
ⓘ AI-generated — verify with the source.↗ Official Senate PDF
What changes from current law

Compared with current law:

Today

The Optical Media Board regulates optical media establishments.

This bill

The Optical Media Board will be abolished, and its functions will be transferred to IPOPHL.

Today

Employees of the OMB may face job loss.

This bill

Employees will be absorbed by IPOPHL without salary reduction.

Today

OMB has its own budget and resources.

This bill

All properties and resources of the OMB will be transferred to IPOPHL.

ⓘ AI-generated comparison — verify against the bill and the cited law.
Ask this bill

This bill abolishes the Optical Media Board (OMB) and transfers its powers and functions to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). It aims to streamline the regulation of optical media.

Source · full text
Issue areas
HealthJusticeLocal GovernmentEmployee RightsOptical Media BoardIntellectual Property OfficeContent Regulation

✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.

Legislative history
Jan 8, 2026Senate
Introduced by Senator WIN T. GATCHALIAN;
Jan 26, 2026Senate
Read on First Reading and Referred to the Committees on PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MASS MEDIA; CIVIL SERVICE, GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION and FINANCE;
Feb 11, 2026Senate
Conducted COMMITTEE MEETINGS/HEARINGS;
Feb 24, 2026Senate
Returned and submitted jointly by the Committees on PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MASS MEDIA, CIVIL SERVICE, GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION and FINANCE per Committee Report No. 34, recommending the approval of S. No. 1654 without amendment, taking into consideration S. No. 991;
Feb 25, 2026Senate
Committee Report Calendared for Ordinary Business;
Feb 25, 2026Senate
Sponsor: Senator ROBINHOOD PADILLA;
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Letter from Senator JOEL VILLANUEVA, conveying his intention to be made co-author of SBN-1654, received by LBIS;
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Transferred from the Calendar for Ordinary Business to the Calendar for Special Order;
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Sponsorship speech delivered by Senator ROBINHOOD PADILLA;
Mar 3, 2026Senate
Co-sponsorship speech of Senators WIN T. GATCHALIAN, JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA, MARK A. VILLAR, ERWIN T. TULFO and JOEL VILLANUEVA;
Mar 4, 2026Senate
Interpellation of Senator JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA;
Mar 4, 2026Senate
Period of interpellation closed;
Mar 4, 2026Senate
Period of individual amendments;
Mar 4, 2026Senate
Period of individual amendments closed;
Mar 4, 2026Senate
Approved on Second Reading with Amendments;
Mar 5, 2026Senate
Copy of the bill was electronically distributed to the Senators;
Mar 9, 2026Senate
Letter from Senator MARK A. VILLAR, expressing his intention to be made co-author of SBN-1654, received by LBIS;
Mar 9, 2026Senate
Approved on Third Reading;
Mar 9, 2026Senate
In favor: (20) Senators BAM AQUINO, JV EJERCITO, JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA, FRANCIS "CHIZ" G. ESCUDERO, WIN T. GATCHALIAN, CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE "BONG" T. GO, RISA HONTIVEROS, PANFILO M. LACSON, MANUEL "LITO" M. LAPID, LOREN B. LEGARDA, IMEE R. MARCOS, ROBINHOOD PADILLA, FRANCIS "KIKO" N. PANGILINAN, ERWIN T. TULFO, RAFFY T. TULFO, JOEL VILLANUEVA, CAMILLE A. VILLAR, MARK A. VILLAR, JUAN MIGUEL "MIGZ" F. ZUBIRI and VICENTE C. SOTTO III;
Mar 9, 2026Senate
Against: (None) ;
Mar 9, 2026Senate
Abstention: (None) ;
Mar 10, 2026Senate
Sent to the House of Representatives requesting for concurrence;
✦ AI insight

Stalled: the bill was approved on third reading in the Senate on March 9, 2026, and sent to the House of Representatives the following day, but has not progressed since then.

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Floor activity

No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.

Full text
SBN-1654 — verbatim textAs filed

- CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES TWENTIETH CONGRESS First Regular Session SENATE S. No. 1654 PREPARED AND SUBMITTED JOINTLY BY THE COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MASS MEDIA; CIVIL SERVICE, GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION; AND FINANCE WITH SENATORS GATCHALIAN AND VILLANUEVA AS AUTHORS THEREOF AN ACT ABOLISHING THE OPTICAL MEDIA BOARD CREATED UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9239, TRANSFERRING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS TO THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Abolition of the Optical Media Board. -

The Optical Media Board (OMB) created under Republic Act No. 9239 or the "Optical Media Act of 2003", is hereby abolished.

SEC. 2. Transfer of Powers and Functions to IPOPHL. -

of the OMB All powers, functions, and responsibilities under Section 10 of Republic Act No. 9239 on: (a) and of Licensing, regulation, inspection establishments engaged in reproduction and distribution of copyrighted works in physical media or their digital equivalents, including visitorial powers; (b) Enforcement of administrative and penal provisions relating to unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted works; and (c) Database and registry maintenance on licensed establishments and reproduction equipment are hereby transferred to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). The IPOPHL may create a separate division under its Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights to perform the OMB functions so transferred

- -

SEC. 3. Absorption of Affected Personnel, Separation,

and Retirement Benefits. - The IPOPHL shall absorb the 3 employees of the Secretariat of the abolished OMB, 4 without diminution of their salaries and other benefits. 5 Employees who are separated from the service as a result of the abolition of the OMB and its Secretariat shall 7 receive separation benefits under applicable laws and regulations: Provided, That those who are qualified to retire under existing laws shall be allowed to retire and receive retirement benefits to which they may be entitled under applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

SEC. 4. Transfer of Properties and Resources to

IPOPHL. - The IPOPHL shall be subrogated to all the rights and assume all the obligations and liabilities, and receive all records, property, assets, equipment, and funds of the OMB, including unexpended appropriations or allocations.

SEC. 5. Appropriations. - The funds necessary to

implement this Act shall be sourced from current

appropriations of the OMB. Thereafter, appropriations shall be included in IPOPHL's annual budget.

SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential

decree or issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, proclamation, charter, rule or regulation, or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any

section or provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, other sections or provisions which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after

fifteen (15) days following its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,

Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.