Philippines’ Anti-Piracy Efforts Lag as Creative Industries Suffer
- Oliver Walsh
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
As reported by the Manila Standard, the Philippines continues to see its creative economy undermined by digital piracy. Despite clear international evidence that site blocking is among the most effective anti-piracy tools globally, the long-delayed Site Blocking Bill in the Senate is stalling.
Over 50 countries—including South Korea, the UK, Australia, Portugal, and Indonesia—have already implemented site-blocking frameworks.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the damage continues. A 2022 Media Partners Asia report found that the local entertainment sector lost an estimated ₱781 million (approx. USD $14 million) to illegal streaming and downloads that year [¹]. The impact is widespread—affecting everyone from major studios to freelancers, production crews, set designers, and SMEs in the content supply chain.
The proposed Site Blocking Bill would empower the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), telecom companies, and internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict access to piracy websites hosted offshore. These sites remain out of reach of local law enforcement but generate substantial advertising revenue and traffic from Filipino users.
In the Philippines, two legislative proposals are currently pending:
Senate Bill 2150, authored by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, filed on May 9, 2023.
Senate Bill 2385, authored by Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., filed on August 1, 2023.
Both aim to establish a legal foundation for blocking access to pirate sites and penalising repeat infringers. However, both remain stuck in the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, chaired by Senator Allan Peter Cayetano. No hearings have been scheduled to date. The House of Representatives has already passed Rep. Joey Salceda’s counterpart bill in 2023.
References
[1] Media Partners Asia (2022) – “Philippines Online Video Consumer Insights & Revenue Loss Estimates”
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