The Wrath of Milenyo

MANILA, Philipines--The Quezon City council is deciding whether to ban the installation of large billboards especially in major thoroughfares where the structures pose a hazard to motorists during stormy weather.

The proposed resolution authored by city councilor Winston Castelo pointed out that both pedestrians and motorists alike have complained of the threat of such outdoor ads.

“There is an urgent need for a moratorium or banning on the construction of the tasteless and badly placed billboards,” proposed resolution number 08-452 said.

Should the measure be passed by the city council, the ban on such outdoor ads will cover major and secondary thoroughfares, avenues and streets in the city.

The proposal came a month after three billboards along EDSA gave way one after the other during strong rains in Quezon City.

Five people were hurt when one of the structures collapsed on a bus station in Santolan, causing heavy traffic along the southbound lane of EDSA on the afternoon of Oct 13.

The freak accident renewed the outcry on the hazards posed by billboards along major thoroughfares especially during stormy weather.

In 2006, a man was killed during a storm when a billboard fell on the van he was driving in Guadalupe in Makati City, prompting the government to probe the structural safety of outdoor ads.

In a previous interview, director Emmanuel Cuntapay of the Department of Public Works and Highways' National Building Code Development Office said a billboard should ideally measure 40 meters by 60 meters in size.

“We will ask billboard owners to retrofit their structures to a standard size and to strengthen it to withstand up to 240 kph of winds,” Cuntapay earlier said.

But the city council's proposal pointed out that the proliferation of unregulated installation of huge outdoor ads, especially near roads, electric posts, pedestrian overpasses and train pillars is a “public nuisance” to the health and safety of motorists and residents.

Castelo's proposed measure said there should be a moratorium as long as there is no policy guidelines on the construction of billboards, which should be based on the National Building Code.