Asian media organisation The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) and the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) have hailed the passage of a legislation (House Bill 7600) through the House of Representatives in Philippines to amend the country’s Intellectual Property Code to allow for pirate sites to be blocked in the Philippines.

To become a law in the Philippines, a Bill needs to be passed by both the House and the Senate and the successful passage of HB7600, introduced by Albay Representative Joey S. Salceda, through the House is a major step towards the enactment of site blocking legislation.

AVIA and CAP believe Congressman Salceda’s Bill will go a long way to addressing the rampant online piracy in the Philippines that is damaging the growth of the country’s economy as well as providing real harm to consumers, AVIA said in a media statement.

AVIA and CAP have been working with the Philippines Government and the local content industry for some time to champion the passage of site blocking legislation to address this concern, including a number of meetings and workshops such as an anti-piracy seminar hosted by AVIA, CAP and the Globe Group in Manila in September 2022 where Congressman Salceda was the keynote speaker.

2023 figures from a study conducted by YouGov and commissioned by AVIA and CAP showed that almost 60 percent of Philippine consumers watch pirated content – an alarming number that has a direct impact on the Philippine creative industry and consumer safety.

However, the study also showed growing consumer awareness of the damage caused by piracy, with 90 percent of consumers believing that piracy has negative consequences for the Philippines. The study also showed a path ahead with 45 percent of Philippine consumers believing a government or court order for ISPs to block pirate websites would be the most effective measure to reduce piracy in the country.

Congressman Salceda’s Bill has been strongly supported by local industry with numerous representatives, including GMA Network, Inc., the Globe Group and KROMA Entertainment attending the Second Reading of the HB7600 in person.

Matt Cheetham, General Manager of CAP, noted, “The evidence continues to show that site blocking, when implemented in an efficient and effective way, and ensuring the necessary elements of due process, is an incredibly powerful tool to both stop online piracy and protect consumers from the unseen harm caused by piracy, and we applaud Congressman Salceda for his determination to address the issue.”

Cheetham also noted that earlier this month, Senator Estrada introduced matching legislation in the Senate (Senate Bill 2150) for Congressman Salceda’s Bill.

“With the successful passage of Congressman Salceda’s Bill in the House, we look forward to the successful passage of matching legislation in the Senate that will allow the Philippines to grow its economy and protect its consumers from online harm,” he added.

“The Globe Group congratulates Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda for steering House Bill No. 7600 towards its triumphant passage at the House. This is a landmark achievement for the creative industry, with the bill a step closer to becoming a law. We are inching closer towards ensuring more stringent protection for our content creators and their livelihood,” said Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Yoly Crisanto.

“GMA Network fully supports this extremely important legislation which would benefit and protect not just the creative industry but the viewing public as well. Website blocking for copyright infringement has been proven as an effective tool to fight digital piracy and support legalcontent creators and services, whether it’s TV, film, books, video games, or music. It is about time that the Philippines enact a site blocking law that would help curtail the losses of an already struggling industry,” said GMA Network, Inc.’s Asst. Vice President for Litigation and Special Projects, Legal Affairs Atty Jose Vener Ibarra.