Moratorium on billboards reached

The billboard industry has agreed to a proposal from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for a 60-day moratorium on the erection of billboards in Metro Manila.

The moratorium is part of the ongoing effort of the government and the private sector to regulate the billboard industry, Frank Abueva, president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP), said in a statement.

According to Abueva, OAAP members have agreed not to put up advertising displays for 60 days as a gesture of their willingness to cooperate with the government in regulating the industry.

"We declare a 60-day moratorium on advertising display to show our sincerity and willingness to abide by the government’s policy on the outdoor advertising industry," Abueva said.

The Advertising Board of the Philippines (AdBoard) recognizes the OAAP as its self-regulatory representative in the outdoor advertising industry. It also directed all non-OAAP members to abide by the provisions of the National Building Code, which bans billboards along main thoroughfares.

OAAP members who have already put up their advertising display pledged to voluntarily bring down their billboards at their own cost, OAAP chairman Carlo Llave said.

The OAAP, however, is hoping the government will reciprocate their gesture by a similar moratorium on the dismantling of billboards standing on private property during the 60-day period pending the enactment of new rules.

"During this period, all parties should meet and discuss to arrive at a consensus that will be best for the stakeholders of the outdoor advertising industry," Llave stressed.

A copy of the OAAP resolution on billboard moratorium was also sent to AdBoard, the Philippine Association of National Advertisers and the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies.

Abueva added that OAAP members will hold their ad displays during the moratorium unless given clearance by government regulators.

Some 40,000 workers dependent on the billboard industry are slowly feeling the crunch of the P2-billion per annum business that has slowed down following the recent death and destruction wrought by Typhoon Milenyo.

Milenyo’s high winds blew down several billboards in the metropolis, killing one person and injuring several others.