DPWH expands anti-illegal billboard drive

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has expanded its campaign against illegal and hazardous billboards amid continuing resistance from outdoor advertising firms.

DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said he has ordered the expansion of coverage of Oplan Baklas Billboard to signage and structures in waterways and canals.

“We must now identify specific sites of billboard structures that obstruct the flow of water. Most of these are in rural areas. We will dismantle those because the safety of the community is also at stake here,” he stressed.

Last week, Ebdane ordered DPWH building officials and engineers in Metro Manila to resume dismantling of hazardous and illegal billboards along major roads of the metropolis.

In his directive issued after a consultative meeting with outdoor advertising firms, Ebdane said “dilapidated structures, those without owners, those that are not duly registered or have no permits” should be dismantled first.

“There should be no reason for issues and problems on illegal billboards because we are simply enforcing the law, and fulfilling our mandate.  Let us show the people that we are doing our job, and share with them what prevents us from finishing what we started. We will resume with what is doable immediately,” he stressed.

DPWH Director Emmanuel Cuntapay, head of the National Building Code Development Office, said they would again convince the billboard companies to voluntarily dismantle structures that violate rules on signs.

“We are hoping for their cooperation. It is important to clear the major roads of hazards and threats before the typhoons arrive,” he told reporters. “It is high time for these service providers to look into public safety first and put their own interests an financial gains perspective.”

Cuntapay cited legal tactics of outdoor advertising firms as the reason for temporary suspension of their anti-illegal billboard operations. He said they have received threats from lawyers of billboard companies that they would file charges with the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Our engineers have been accused of extortion by these lawyers whenever they don’t issue permit to billboards. The truth is, we don’t issue permits simply because we know these billboards would be violation of rules. This is obvious harassment of our district engineers,” he told reporters.

But Cuntapay stressed that with Ebdane’s return as DPWH chief, they would resume the anti-illegal billboard campaign.

According to Cuntapay, they cannot rest in their campaign against illegal billboards since heavy rains are coming and other natural calamities are making themselves field in different parts of Asia.

“Recently, not only storms have threatened the country. As you will notice, there have been earthquakes in Japan and Indonesia, these are all countries that are close to us, and this is alarming as illegal billboards are sure to collapse at the first sign of disaster. They are not structurally safe,” he said.

He added that the most common violation among billboard owners are the erection of advertising materials along building setbacks, which are not ‘buildable’ areas since they are used as catch basins for rainwater and for underground facilities. – Edu Punay