It’s time to get rid of the billboards!

The onslaught of super typhoon Milenyo is unquestionably one of the worst that has hit the country since over a decade ago. The last one was Angela in 1995 packing 260-kph strong winds and leaving almost a thousand people dead in its wake. The whole of Luzon went on a "total system blackout," plunging homes into darkness. But what’s worse this time is that in Metro Manila, motorists were literally scared to death by huge billboards that toppled along the highways, causing horrendous traffic jams in the process. A delivery van driver was in fact pinned to death when the structure of a giant ad along EDSA fell on his vehicle. At the South Luzon expressway, 14 billboards collapsed and you can just imagine the chaos this created. That’s why no one can really blame MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando for saying "I told you so." BF had been batting for the removal of giant billboards located along major roads because of the dangers they pose, but for Bayani’s efforts to keep motorists and pedestrians safe from these billboards, an ad company filed criminal and administrative charges against him before the Ombudsman. What a country!

This issue about billboards has gone on long enough and it’s about time something decisive is really done about it. Last year, Senator Miriam Santiago filed Senate Bill 1714 to regulate the installation of billboards and compel outdoor advertisers to comply with safety requirements, but it’s still languishing in the Senate. Maid Miriam really gave a mouthful, calling Metro Manila a "billboard hell" and slamming some ads for being "nuisances" that pose a danger not only to public safety but morality. In fact, the content of billboards is also another issue because of claims that a number of them – presumably those provocative ads showing a lot of skin – distract motorists and cause them to lose focus on the road. We can just hear Miriam say, "I told you so," too!

When typhoon Caloy hit the country several months ago, Metro Manila, Luzon and some areas in Bicol experienced power interruptions because falling billboards cut cables and power lines. Last year, hundreds were stranded when the MRT trains conked out after a billboard ad tarpaulin fell along the tracks and just recently, a huge billboard collapsed and this time fell on the roof of the MRT station in Mandaluyong. While the National Building Code sets standards for the installation of structures to make sure they comply with safety regulations, the problem is with local governments that issue permits without even making sure that these advertisers or billboard owners have complied with safety standards. As a matter of fact, when residents and motorists were complaining to a city mayor how much they were against a huge billboard that was put up, the city mayor was said to have personally guaranteed that it was safe. Now, the mayor has predictably and conveniently made himself scarce.

People were naturally frustrated by the horrendous traffic jams and the prolonged blackouts, and there are still a lot of areas that have no electricity to this day because of the toppled electricity wires – thanks to these billboards. But what probably frustrated people the most is the lack of signal from their cellphones. There are many people like me who can’t live without their cellphone and I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating it was not to be able to call or even send text messages. Apparently, a lot of cell sites were down. In this modern age of technology, you begin to take cellphones for granted until something goes wrong, then you ask yourself – how could we have lived without it?

While some blithely claim that billboards entertain motorists stuck in traffic, there’s no arguing the fact that the proliferation of billboards, as well as the alarming proximity of these oversized structures to each other, can indeed pose safety hazards. Along C5, a huge billboard structure fell on top of the flyover, while down on E. Rodriguez, another giant steel structure crushed what looked like a small house. So how sure are these local government units that the steel bars for these billboards they approved are strong enough to withstand the pressure of howling winds or battering rains during typhoons? Milenyo just gave us the answer.

Perhaps it’s time for our congressmen and senators to concentrate their energies into creating a law that would put one central agency on top of Metro Manila mayors so that questions regarding centralized laws and ordinances could be properly coordinated, like the issuance of permits for billboards. There are a lot of questions about some of these billboards being approved by such and such mayor, with insinuations that there were some under the table shenanigans going on. There should also be zoning ordinances to map out areas that are appropriate for commercial, residential and other uses so industrial plants are not built inside residential areas. Anti-pollution advocates have been clamoring for local government units to devise zoning plans to reduce air pollution levels especially in congested areas. Accurate and updated maps can also help avert disasters because they can pinpoint areas that are along earthquake fault lines and thus unsuitable as residential areas. Sadly, such industrial maps are probably outdated. The same is true with the country’s shipping industry. Aboitiz Transport Systems president and CEO Endika Aboitiz told me the other day they have to buy their nautical maps overseas because the ones available are simply outdated. The last nautical map was done in 1981.

No doubt the recent typhoon and the chaotic aftermath is a wake-up call for all of us. Metro Manila, with all of its 13 million residents, has to have a semblance of order. In New York after 9/11, there was an organized, systematic effort to clear up the debris and rescue those who were trapped when the World Trade Center collapsed. Here, it was ridiculous to see MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando on television shouting after a DPWH vehicle to come back and finish the clearing operations, which again underscores the need for one man to be on top especially when disasters and tragedies strike. God forbid that a terrorist attack or an earthquake like what happened in 1990 should hit a still congested and cluttered Metro Manila – that would really be a major disaster.

The only one good thing about this typhoon is that it cleared the air, literally – because Metro Manila residents can enjoy clean air for a few days at least. But more than anything, Milenyo’s aftermath should now clear the way for Metro Manila to get rid of these goddamn, unsafe billboards.

* * *

E-mail: [email protected]