Labella eyes “traps” around billboards

CEBU, Philippines- Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella has requested the Office of the Building Officials to push for measures to avoid individuals from climbing on billboard structures in the city.

 Labella made the request following an incident a week ago where he personally negotiated for a man to go down from a billboard tower along General Maxilom Avenue.

“It was only after over an hour of persuasion and assurance that we would help him with whatever problem he was then struggling. With that, a tragedy was averted,” said Labella.

Labella asked OBO to conduct a study on how to possibly introduce “practical measures” such as appending provisions on the existing OBO regulations in the construction of billboards. The vice mayor wants that no one can be able to climb any billboard structure in the city.

This initiative surfaced after an 18-year-old man, who was reportedly attempting to commit suicide, perched himself on a SMART billboard on July 17. He succeeded persuading the man to come down safely.

“The experience, however, left me with the foreboding that next time things may not end as happily,” Labella said.

In a letter dated July 23, 2015, Labella conveyed his plans to city engineer Jose Marie Poblete, who is also the chief of OBO.

“I have been thinking if practical measures can be taken to avoid a repetition of the emergency, such as inserting into the existing OBO standards or requirements for billboard construction a provision that a billboard should be constructed such that a person without the aid of scaffolding will not be able to climb the structure,” the letter read.

Labella also sent a copy of the letter to Lilian Lumocso and Mary Anne Alcordo-Solomon, president and adviser of Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines, respectively.

Poblete, for his part, said he welcomes the suggestion, however, he said that it would be best that a certain resolution or ordinance would be passed to institutionalize the measure.

“We are always guided by rules and regulations with regards to the structural integrity (of any construction.) But more than that we need proper (laws) since we can’t require it without any legal backing,” he said in a phone interview yesterday.

“However, we will try to see whatever means that we can prevent any circumstance,” Poblete added. (FREEMAN)