Makati reviews ad land concerns for 10-year OOH master plan

Makati City is in talks with billboard owners and advertisers to comment on a draft 10-year master plan to regulate and prevent outdoor advertising “from becoming a source of eyesores and safety hazards.”The City Hall is currently reviewing position papers on matters involving regulations on the design, construction, installation and maintenance of billboards and signage in Makati.City councilor Leonardo Magpantay, chairman of the Housing, Urban Development and Resettlement Committee, asked concerned stakeholders to submit their position papers no later than 10 January “to ensure that their views and inputs will be duly considered and, if feasible, adopted into the final master plans that the City Council will ratify through an ordinance.”Around 185 industry representatives attended a public hearing held last 16 December. Some of its key provisions include;A maximum of only six pieces of signage will be allowed per building to prevent clutter.No billboards shall be allowed to be erected atop buildings and structures.No part of a billboard or electronic display, including its support structure, shall be placed upon natural features like trees, rocks and the like.No billboard or electronic display shall be allowed within 50 meters of the outermost portion of all interchanges or right-of-way of all underpasses, bridges, station/terminal/inter-modal/multi-modal structures. Also, billboards are prohibited within 50 meters from the center of an intersection.Billboards or electronic displays will not be allowed to be erected in a way that will obstruct any emergency exit, fire escape or other openings of all buildings in the city.Temporary signs, which include buntings, banners and posters mounted on existing posts, fences or buildings, shall be required to show date of expiry, with a maximum of 30 calendar days, and is renewable.Removal of temporary signage will be at the owner’s expense, or if removed by the City, the costs will be charged to the owner’s account.Some concerns from the stakeholders were discussed during the public hearing.  Barangay officials, in particular, aired their desire to be involved in the monitoring of billboards that are built without their prior knowledge. They also said that billboard operators should also seek a barangay clearance before erecting a billboard structure.For the advertisers, they were concerned on the maximum number of signages that can be allowed per building, the basis of the charges and fees for a permit, and the space within the 50-meter distance from an intersection that should be free from billboards.