Quezon City (3 October) -- DESPITE appeals and objections from billboard owners and advertisers, Malacañang is determined to remove billboards that pose clear hazards to life and property.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said billboard owners and advertisers should have a sense of responsibility and ensure the structures are safe.

"This problem demands a sense of responsibility among billboard owners and advertisers for mapping out safety measures to protect the public; and the government will ensure these will be complied with," Bunye said in a statement.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to dismantle hazardous billboards.

She has also instructed the agency and the National Disaster Coordinating Council to coordinate with local government units in identifying safe places for setting up billboards.

Arroyo will soon issue an executive order detailing the rules and regulations for putting up the structures.

Frank Abueva, president of the Outdoor Advertisers Association of the Philippines, said instead of an outright ban, the government should review existing laws and regulate billboards to make these less hazardous.

Giant billboards toppled by Typhoon “Milenyo” last week killed at least one person, damaged property, helped trigger a massive power outage and caused traffic jams along major highways.