Billboard owners urged to secure their signs

The Provincial Board urged billboard owners and operators in Cebu to adopt precautionary measures to ensure their billboards will not cause death or damage if blown down during storms.

This came after the Visayan Electric Company released the list of 49 “high risk” billboards in Cebu City.

“High-rise billboards, or even the smaller ones are likely to collapse during typhoons and strong winds, posing imminent danger to nearby residents and properties,” the resolution sponsored by Provincial Board member Victor Maambong read.

It was approved by the provincial legislators in mass motion.

Saying that typhoons occur in the last quarter of every year, the provincial legislators said it will be good to avoid death and property damage.

Meanwhile, over half of the identified hazardous billboards in Central Visayas have been dismantled by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Buenaventurada Pajo of DPWH-7 said since the issuance of a memorandum October last year ordering the tearing down or dismantling of hazardous billboards, Task Force Baklas has tore down 931 billboards.

The different district engineers in the region submitted a list of 1,828 hazardous billboards within their jurisdiction in provinces Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Oriental Negros last year.

These billboards, Pajo said are illegally installed or are in the road right of way limits.

Pajo said the maintenance section, which is assigned to head the task force, sometimes has difficulty in implementing the order due to security reasons.

This prompted regional police director Ronald Roderos to call for a separate meeting with members of the task force foe effective and efficient implementation. — Gerome M. Dalipe and Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP