Miriam to advertisers: Take down unsafe billboards

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago urged advertisers yesterday to take down billboards that pose a hazard to pedestrians, bystanders and motorists.

"These companies should of their own accord tear down their own billboards that pose safety risks to the unsuspecting public such as those placed on overpasses and on MRT stations directly above," she said.

Santiago said she is working to speed up passage of the Anti-Billboard Bill, which seeks to require that billboards be located 300 meters away from any interchange, underpass, overpass, bridge, tunnel or intersection.

Her bill also aims to ban the erection of billboards within a 300- meter circumference of any historical site, street church, school, hospital, government building, public park, playground, recreation area or convention center, she added.

Santiago said stricter requirements must be imposed on tri-vision, electronic and multimedia billboards because they tend to distract motorists and pedestrians.

"Between the general welfare and the safety of the public, and the need of big companies to advertise to rake in big revenues, the former should always win," she said.

Santiago said last Oct. 6, she conducted a public hearing on the Anti-Billboard Bill, which was attended by representatives of the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Metro Manila Development Authority, the various local governments, and different non-government organizations.

She has also formed a technical working group of concerned government agencies to fine-tune provisions of the bill, she added.

Last Dec. 26, a billboard on the overpass along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City went up in flames after fire broke out in the squatter community under the bridge.

Last September, MRT operations in EDSA were derailed after a billboard collapsed on an onrushing train.