Senator Win Gatchalian said he supports phasing out the operations of the Optical Media Board (OMB), citing the obsolescence of the industry it was originally tasked to regulate.

The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said he is also willing to make a recommendation to the executive department regarding the transition of the operations of the OMB to another agency, such as the Film Development Council, to ensure that its employees are not displaced by the agency’s eventual abolition.

“The times today have rendered the OMB totally obsolete. People do not watch CDs anymore. Lahat ay live streaming platforms na. We just have to find the proper transition for the employees,” Gatchalian said. 

“We can provide the agency with a winding-down budget good for 3 to 6 months and then we can put that budget to another agency which has a similar function,” he added. 

The OMB’s tasks include licensing and registering legal optical media businesses, as well as investigating and cracking down on illegal operations. 

Photo by Mark Cayabyab / OS GATCHALIAN