Public safety should not only be superior to the “commerce of man”.

It should be supreme at all times.

As we enter the typhoon season, with weather disturbances becoming more intense on account of climate change, agencies tasked with ensuring public safety, security, and welfare should scramble to dismantle private structures whose integrity or stability cannot withstand powerful winds, heavy rains, and landslides or soil erosion.

The most visible examples of these hazardous commercial structures are, of course, the humongous and ugly billboards along the highways and main thoroughfares of Metro Manila.

When strong winds blow across the metropolis, these billboards, made up mostly of tarpaulins, serve like gigantic sails that could topple or even fly like winged projectiles, posing a major threat to commuters, pedestrians, and even residents of high-rise condominiums and dwellers of regular houses with weak foundations.               

And so it is assuring the Metro Manila Development Authority has announced that there would be no letup in the intensified campaign against unsafe billboards under “Operation Roll Down, Baby”.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said 46 advertisements on billboards have been torn down for failing to meet the safety standards set by he National Building Code.

“Operation Roll Down, Baby will be intensified now that the rainy season has started,” Tolentino said. “We will inspect all billboards along EDSA and other major thoroughfares so we could identify and remove those that are (at) great risk of collapsing in times of bad weather,” Tolentino was quoted as saying by a broadsheet.

MMDA workers dismantled 20 billboard advertisements, on the northbound lane of EDSA. Six were voluntarily removed by their owners. Along the southbound lane, 26 advertisements were removed.

Tolentino warned operators of billboard advertisements that did not comply with the National Building Code requirements would be sent notices of violation where they would be given 15 days to undertake corrective measures.

Failure could lead to the dismantling of the entire steel structural frames, he said.

The most common violation of billboard advertisers is their failure to meet the easement requirements of five-meter front setback from the property line and the three-meter side and rear setback on EDSA.

The MMDA chief explained that the easement requirements are intended to ensure that billboard frames are set back from power lines, do not obstruct the natural view of landscape or become traffic hazards. The idea is to minimize damage should the billboards topple or collapse.