The Optical Media Board (OMB) called on the youth not to engage but instead help in stopping piracy in an information campaign for the Palawan National School (PNS) Senior High students with the theme, “Stop Piracy #NgayonNa” on February 13, 2019.
Atty. Anselmo Adriano, OMB Chairman and CEO, said that they have recorded many cases of youth engaging in piracy and the information campaign is to help remind the youth to stop piracy as well as to give awareness to the students on how to become responsible citizens and how to give respect to intellectual property rights.
“The students are the ones that are so engaged over the internet [and] social media. We feel that we should really invest our time and effort on them so they could [be] an excellent group to listen to us, to learn what we do in the Optical Media Board, to teach them to respect intellectual property rights, to make them aware of anything and everything that goes on over the internet,” he said.
“To give you a classic example, last December, during the Metro Manila Film Festival, we gathered volunteers for OMB to go around every cinema to make sure that no one will try to record the movie. Marami jan kaming mga nahuli na mga bata taking pictures, taking videos, taking selfie. All of those things are actually illegal under the camcording law,” he further said.
Adriano added, “But the problem is, despite all of the notices, na bawal, they continue on doing it. Something must be terribly wrong. I don’t know if they have been taught well or they have been reminded enough for them not to do it. So sabi nga namin, maybe this is one intervention that we could also do, na constant reminder, constant teaching. Para mag sink in talaga sa kanila.”
He also added, “Under the law kasi, if you’re underaged, you cannot have any criminal liability. And that’s the reason why we have this type of forum. Para ‘di na sila aabot dun.”
The information campaign consisted of informational talks about understanding piracy and responsible digital citizenship. The speakers offered an interactive approach to the students by having a question and answer portion, so the students could also engage themselves.
Atty. Cyrus Valenzuela, Chief of the OMB Legal Division, said, “Yung mga kabataan ngayon, hindi katulad ng panahon namin. You have access to any information you wish to know. Kayo, konting Google lang, alam niyo na. May produkto kayo, nagdududa kayo kung peke o hindi, i-Google niyo. So mas discerning kayo, mas aware kayo. What we’re doing here is reinforcing what you know already, na wag nating tangkilikin yung pirated.”
Gabriel Timbol Jr., a grade 12 STEM student, said, “Nakakatulong po [ang event] na mapalawak yung nalalaman ng bawat estudyante patungkol sa ano yung piracy or pagpipirata at dito ko rin natutunan na sa simpleng pag-download mo ng di galing sa mismong source ay considered na pala siyang illegal.”
Divine Valencia, a grade 12 HUMSS student, also said, “Yung event na ‘to, ang laking advantage samin tsaka napaka-essential po sa amin as a student kasi nowadays, pinakaginagamit namin as a primary source of information specially sa pagre-research o kaya kailangan sa school, assignment, requirements, ginagamit po namin ay ang modern technology which is the use of gadgets [and] internet.”
She added, “As a student, I will disseminate useful information that I’ve gathered from this event, this symposium, sa peers ko, sa mga classmate, sa mga kakilala ko outside the school, para maging literate din sila sa mga bagay na ‘to.”
Adriano, meanwhile, said that the Optical Media Board is aiming to reach out to more schools to encourage students to involve themselves in fighting against piracy. “Hopefully, we can gather as much ground as we could in the shortest period of time, to really reach out to every senior high school out there,” he said.