OMB: 'Bawal Kumopya'

MANILA, Philippines - “Bawal Kumopya!” is OMB’s (Optical Media Board) latest campaign in cooperation with Phils.’ Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council’ (MPAFPC) against those attempting to copy and sell pirated version of motion pictures and recordings.  

OMB’s campaign against piracy has hit viral stage during the recently-concluded Metro Manila Film Festival led by its current chairman Ronnie Ricketts. Vouching for the effective results of the recent anti-piracy operations is the country’s Anti-Piracy Council which stated that the accumulated box-office gross of the film festival’s entries reached P540M in 14 days. With OMB in the midst of the Phils.’ largest group of entertainment guardians, Mr. Ricketts’ initial anti-piracy operations successfully pre-empted attempts to sell pirated copies of the filmfest’s entries. This is also the second time that the OMB has participated in the MMFF parade, “It’s symbolic because as OMB, it is our responsibility to protect the films that are included in the festival. It sends out a message to those groups that are into piracy that the OMB is here to watch over the industry,” shares Ricketts. “I like playing as a team, I believe that everybody played a big part in the success of our anti-piracy campaign,” he notes.

“This is also a very good example of public-private organizations working together,” according to Anti-Film Piracy Council. “Without OMB and Mr. Ricketts’ leadership, our goal to protect the industry would not have been possible. We are also glad that the anti-piracy bill has been approved last year, because in the R.A. No. 10088 also known as the Anti-Camcording Act of 2010, even an attempt to record any motion picture or recording is already a crime in itself.”

Currently in place is OMB’s information campaign wherein the group makes the rounds in barangay levels and in campuses. As an actor and producer, Ricketts states that it helped that he knows the industry’s problems and thus allows him to come up with effective solutions on protecting it against piracy.

A passionate martial arts expert, Ricketts’ subtle moves in the sports eventually translated to his current post as he parlayed the same moves when it comes to leading the institution. Only in his second year as OMB’s chairman, Ricketts introduced a systematized organization for better workflow, deputized select civilians in rural and urban cities reporting from the newly-established satellite offices which is also a first in the institution, engaging the institution’s employees into sports particularly running and martial arts where he himself teaches the sports to further realize one’s productivity and upgraded OMB’s website www.omb.gov.ph.