Have you seen the sign?

If you drive along the SLEX or high traffic areas of Metro Manila, chances are you may have seen the signs. The message they carry are “double meaning” and they are larger than life.

Like a double edged knife, the signs can point you toward life or call your attention to current global realities that have landed squarely in the Philippines. Their interpretation also reflects your state of mind or disposition.

Those same signs tend to be like weeds, the stuff that remains after all other plants have withered and died during a drought. Or the leafless limbs and branches of a tree that has fallen on hard times.

Yes, the signs are those highly visible billboards that have now become the barometer of business in the Philippines. They tell us when business is bad, but some of them have now been turned into “Godly reminders.”

More than a decade ago, I had the privilege to interview one of the founders/owners of those particular billboard companies and I learned that when times are good, or business is booming, the demand and competition for billboard space is intense.

But whenever the economy turns sour, many businesses cut back on advertising and even the most reasonable form of advertising, billboards, gets hit by recession, leaving all those spaces vacant or empty.

While advertisers pull back, the billboard company must continue paying rent on the land or space and most of them simply put up a different sign: “THIS SPACE FOR RENT” or they leave the structural skeletons for all to see.

That is why I call them skeletons of “failing” businesses or the economy. You know things are bad or going to get bad when the billboard tarpaulins come down. That only happens because a typhoon is expected to hit or because businesses are already in a drought situation.

A counterpoint or contrast to the skeleton billboards are those black-and-white signs or billboards that replace unused or available space. Instead of skeletons, the black-and-whites carry a message of hope and a reminder of what matters.

For the most part, the signs are white letters written over black tarpaulin and the one that sticks out says: “WE NEED TO TALK – GOD.” These billboards are not a recent development. I have seen them pop up pre-COVID, during COVID and now post COVID.

Those black-and -white “Messages from God” billboards are how the owners turn a bad situation into good by using  God-inspired creativity as well as doing what many churches have done abroad, particularly in the US.

Here are a sampling of some of the “cute,” humorous, gentle nudges that have been used in billboards in the US:

“Talk to me – GOD.”  “I miss how you used to talk to me when you were a kid – GOD.” “Well, you did ask for a sign – GOD.” “Here’s your sign – GOD,” “I’ve been here all along – GOD.” “Let’s meet at my house Sunday, before the game – GOD.” “If you must curse, use your own name! – GOD.”

Here’s another set of witty messages: “All I know…is everything – GOD.” “That ‘Love thy neighbor’ thing, I meant that. – GOD.” “Keep using my name in vain, I’ll make the rush hour longer – GOD.” “Don’t make me come down there – GOD.”

If you have seen the sign, please don’t sing the song. Say a prayer.

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Given how we are all sweltering from the heat, I am now more convinced than ever that Filipinos, families, neighborhood communities need to get together to do what they can do to counter the heat and lower the temperature.

I realized that while I have managed to apply solutions like growing vines to block the direct sunlight on my house, growing plants on the roof top, incorporating a wind tunnel and cross ventilation in the architecture, all that can only do so much.

If you live in an “incubator-like zone” covered by concrete, metal sheet roofing, buildings and open parking, what happens is the area absorbs the heat during the day and releases it at night. The only solution is to have actual laws requiring barangays and communities to institute greening in their area.

Take, for instance, the very high condominiums popping up all over Metro Manila and most of their homeowners’ association prohibiting plants from being placed in balconies. Some don’t even allow the use of balconies for safety reasons.

Government and private organizations heavily promote tree planting in far-flung hillsides and mountainous areas, but I have not heard of cities, barangays or the DILG seriously promoting or spearheading urban tree planting campaigns.

Back in the ’50s and ’60s people talked about all the trees they used to climb, particularly fruit trees. But that slowly faded away as the Marcos government promoted imported palms, fast growing gmelina, eucalyptus and imported mahogany breeds.

With no direct benefits to people, generations of Filipinos lost so many fruit trees at home, school, playgrounds or outdoor areas. Some people even refuse to grow trees to prevent thieves from climbing on them, put up high walls around their metal roofs and now they have to use three to four air conditioners.

In the meantime, mega corporations like San Miguel Corporation has a headquarters that actively pursues a “greening policy,” water conservation and vegetable production. Even the Makati Business District has been promoting park-like malls.

When is the DILG, Bureau of Plants and all the silent environmentalists going to cooperate to cool down Metro Manila naturally?

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