Byline: ROY C. MABASA
President Arroyo has certified as urgent a bill that would regulate the placing of outdoor billboards, following the destruction billboards had inflicted on Metro Manila at the height of typhoon "Milenyo."
Senate Bill No. 1714 or "The Anti-Billboard Blight Act" is sponsored by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago.
"It was force majeure (an act of God) that toppled all those killer billboards. It was the finger of God pointing at crass materialism. It is time to put a stop to the worship of the golden calf of corporate greed, and to return to basic community values," Santiago said in a statement.
Santiago said she has requested Majority Leader Sen. Francis Pangilinan to prioritize the bill in the floor debates when the Senate resumes its session on Nov. 6.
The senator also praised President Arroyo for her "courageous leadership and responsive sensitivity to public outrage and public demand for safety and aesthetics in our highways."
Under the Santiago bill, the following billboards are prohibited: Those that obstruct or obscure the view of vehicular or pedestrian traffic, in such a manner as to endanger their movement; those that impair any scenic vista from the highway; those located in the residential zones;
Those placed on any public property, telephone or utility poles, or natural features such as trees and rocks; those erected above the roof of any building; and those that obstruct the windows or doorways of adjacent buildings.
