Advertising group opposes proposed ban

A group of outdoor advertising firms said yesterday it does not fully agree with the plan of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to ban billboards along major roads nationwide.

In a statement, the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP) said it sees as unnecessary the proposal of DPWH to ban billboards within a 100-meter radius from the center of national roads and transmission lines.

"The OAAP believes the strict, proper and impartial implementation of existing laws such as National Building Code of the Philippines and Philippine Highway Act of 1953 is enough to address the supposed issues of road and structural safety of billboards," the group stressed.

The organization, which is a member of Advertising Board of the Philippines, however, said it would cooperate with new regulations that the government would impose on advertising structures on roads, provided that the same new laws "would protect and encourage those that abide by it, such as OAAP members."

"The OAAP wishes to remind those that seek to provide additional regulation that the same should pass the requisites of due process and reasonableness, specifically prior consultation with all parties involved," the group said.

The OAAP issued the statement after the DPWH revealed its plan to impose new regulations on the construction of billboards following mounting complaints from motorists.

The group said it hopes the DPWH would clarify the role of the outdoor advertising industry as a partner of the government and not a threat to public safety.

"Once again, the outdoor advertising industry has been cast in a negative light, vilified and threatened, regrettably on recycled issues of public safety and objectionable content on the basis of rogue outdoor advertising practitioners and their practices," OAAP lamented.

DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. earlier said he would meet with OAAP official to discuss issues before he signs a circular for the implementation of new rules on putting up billboards on major and national roads, which was proposed by the department’s National Building Code Development Office.

Ebdane also said he would welcome the group’s recommendation on specific control mechanisms on billboards construction and regulations, which are being reviewed by the department’s legal office.

The circular, according to the DPWH chief, also involves the removal of all existing billboards within the identified boundary in six months.