City Council wants construction of billboards reviewed

The city government will call on all advertisers and civil engineers to discuss on the installation of billboards around the city following last week's onslaught of typhoon "Milenyo" in Metro Manila felled several billboards that blocked streets, damaged several vehicles and even killed one person.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama suggested the matter during the regular session of the City Council yesterday after Councilor Procopio Fernandez filed a resolution asking the Office of the Building Official and all concerned departments and agencies to review the installation of billboards in the city.

Rama said the advertisers and engineers should be called for a meeting so they know whether the installation of billboards was in compliance with pertinent laws.

Fernandez, chairman of the council committee on public safety, said "it is also imperative to check who will be responsible to anything that may be caused by billboards."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued the directive following the furor raised over the heavy damage to properties and injuries of pedestrians and motorists caused by crashing billboards in many areas of Metro Manila at the height of the storm.

Arroyo wants hazardous billboards off the streets, and the government has started dismantling those found in gross violation of public safety. She directed the Department of Public Works and Highways and the National Disaster Coordinating Council to coordinate with the local government units in identifying safe places for billboards.

Meanwhile, tropical storm "Neneng" has changed course, heading toward southern Japan, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration yesterday.

PAGASA weather observer Armando Danag said that the tropical storm is moving away from northern part of the country, which was still reeling from last week's typhoon.

He said that because of the tropical storm, Cebu is experiencing rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Danag explained that "Neneng," with maximum winds of 85 kilometers (53 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 100 kph (60 mph), is expected to continue moving northward and could intensify into a typhoon as it heads toward southern Japan in the next few days.

The weather bureau said the storm was located 610 kilometers (380 miles) east of the northeastern tip of Luzon Island, and by Friday will be 1,340 kilometers east Northeast of Basco, Batanes.

Authorities lowered a storm alert over northeastern provinces but said "Neneng" has interacted with a low-pressure area east of Luzon, bringing rains and flashfloods.

Flashfloods stranded hundreds of commuters in Mindoro Occidental, and sank several houses.

On Tuesday, six people were killed in flashfloods east of Manila, while the official death toll from typhoon "Milenyo," which cut across Luzon on Thursday, stood at 98 dead with 72 missing. - Garry B. Lao and Jasmin R. Uy/LPM