Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Outdoor Advertising Regulation 

To Promote Safe Environment

The roadsides of Aklan will become a pleasant place to travel once the proposed provincial ordinance Vice Gov. Gabrielle V. Calizo-Quimpo is approved into an ordinance. Better still if religiously implemented by officials concerned and observed by all Aklanons and other people doing business in Aklan. 

The proposed ordinance is “An Ordinance Regulating the Installation, Posting, Hanging and Displaying of Streamers, Posters, Banner, And Other Similar Forms of Signages of Commercial Products/Goods Including Billboards In the Province of Aklan And Providing Penalties Therefore”.  

The proposed ordinance aims to “guide, control and regulate its physical growth and development and protect the character and stability of residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and open spaces within the Province of Aklan to promote the orderly and beneficial development of these areas. 

If approved, became effective and sincerely implemented, the following acts will be unlawful:

1.    fastening, bolting, wrapping around a tree with the use of any metal, galvanized iron tie and barbwires of any sign in both public and public place;

2.    Installing in electric posts any advertisements, information campaign, placards, billboards and posters;

3.    Placing, storing, or dumping used posters, streamers, tarpaulin, and other objects in any part of the road, street or avenue, and sidewalk which may obstruct the flow of traffic and pedestrian;

4.    It will oblige owners, operators, drivers and conductors of public utility vehicles plying within Aklan to clean their vehicles at all times; securing commercial advertisement attached or hanged in their vehicles to neither impede nor inconvenienced the passengers;

5.    Posting, installing billboard, sign, poster, streamer, and other visual clutters in any part of the road, sidewalk, center island, carriage way, close and open public spaces;

6.    Erecting any form of outdoor advertising including billboards and signs on any premises except on the premises of business being advertised;

7.    Displaying any portable or temporary sign which is not safely secured;

8.    Combining advertisement signs with markers of historical sites and tourists destinations;
9.    Sari-sari stores, public markets and other commercial areas shall

a.    reflect the business name of a sari-sari store displayed outside of the structure on the front wall or framed signage

b.    advertising markers of commercial products shall not be allowed to be printed in any part of the signage reflecting the business name of a sari-sari store; signage like this: Ana’s Dry Goods Store, Drink Saint Miguel…” will be the thing of the past;

c.    Posters, banners, tarpaulin either made of plastic, tin cans, cloth or other materials shall be posted or hanged at the inside walls of the structure, never in the outside wall of the store;

d.    Installing signages on roof tops of any public market structure is strictly prohibited and;

e.    Billboard reflecting business names of businesses operating within the premises of a public market is limited to two (2) square feet. 

The respective chief executive of each local government units in Aklan is mandated under this proposed ordinance to issue location and structural clearances/permits for regulated signs within in their jurisdiction. The mayor of a municipality is given imprimatur to issue the needed permit to direct necessary changes in the construction if there are corrections to be done, and order the demolition or removal of the same if there are violations. 

The proposed ordinance also provides “Guideline For The Evaluation of Applications For Locational Clearance” such as the setback requirement, landscape obstruction, combustible material, display surface and fire safety among others.

After this proposal is approved into provincial ordinance and became effective, it will be implemented by a Task Force Kalikasan to be organized in accordance with the provisions of the Provincial Ordinance No. 2009 – 05 or the Environmental Code of the Province of Aklan.

Any advertiser found violating any provision of this proposed ordinance shall suffer the penalty of one (1) month imprisonment or a fine of not more than two thousand five hundred pesos (P2,500) or both imprisonment and fine. 

Moreover, any employee or staff members of the advertiser found violating any provision of this ordinance will be apprehended. He/she will be released only after paying P500 in the first offense, P1,500 in the second offense, and P2,500 on the third offense.

This kind of enactment is long overdue. All methods of promoting favorable public image of goods, services, materials, individual person, family/clan and organizations are being employed resulting to the making our environment ugly, dirty, unwieldy and dangerous.
This proposed ordinance must be enacted without delay to promote safe environment.  /MP