Outdoor ad group declares billboards in Cebu are safe

The estimated 100 billboards in Metro Cebu are relatively safer than those in Metro Manila, declared Mary Ann Solomon, president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines-Cebu chapter yesterday.

"We are a step away compared with Manila," Solomon said about the safety of the billboards in Cebu, as she assured the public that the collapse of billboards in Manila due to typhoon last week-resulting in injuries and death-will never happen here.

Solomon said her group's chapter is composed of 11 members and that their billboards were constructed in compliance with standards of the National Building Code, and inspected every quarter.

"Nag map out nami og unsay buhaton aron dili mahitabo ang sama sa Manila," Solomon said over DyLA radio, adding that her group has been very strict in monitoring the billboards' structures here, the size of which are not even as big as in Manila.

Solomon however admitted that there are some billboards here that are illegal but these belong to those who are not members of her group. These have no permit, have been built on a road right-of-way lot, and have defective structure, she said.

To resolve this, Solomon's group-together with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the city's Office of Building Officials-has started conducting an inventory of all billboards in Metro Cebu. The results of the inventory, which includes identifying the illegal ones, would be submitted later to the Cebu City council, Solomon said. The council would then meet with advertisers to discuss the safety of these billboards, she said.

Solomon said one of the safety measures that her group had adopted for the billboards is regular monitoring of weather through updates from Pagasa.

In case of weather disturbance alerts, the group members could roll up immediately the huge tarpaulins on these billboard structures as precautionary measures, she said, adding that they do not also allow overhanging billboards on the road to prevent accidents.

After the billboards' incidents in Manila, Solomon said non-members have expressed interest to join her organization.

The acceptance of new members, however, has been suspended yet because the group wants to screen thoroughly its members first. - Fred P. Languido/RAE