MANILA – A senior member of the Arroyo Cabinet blamed sexy billboard ads which have proliferated in many strategic areas for the slow-moving traffic, especially along the busy roads in Metro Manila.
In fact, Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. of the Department of Public Works and Highways admitted that in some cases, the suggestive billboards distract him or his driver, forcing them to slow down.
“If there is no vehicular accident, then chances are there might be a huge sexy billboard up ahead which causes the traffic to slow down,†Ebdane said.
He explained that motorists and drivers of public utility vehicles are tempted to stop or reduce their speed so they can ogle at the sexy billboard models, thus slowing down the flow of traffic.
According to Ebdane some quarters have raised moral issues in their demand for the removal of what they consider as “vulgar†outdoor advertisements.
But the DPWH chief acknowledged that without a court order, they could not take down such advertisements for fear that they could be sued by the advertisers.
Compounding the problem, Ebdane pointed out, is that there is no hard and fast rule in local jurisprudence on what constitutes “pornography,†as it applies to outdoor advertisements.
Ebdane, a retired director general of the Philippine National Police, admitted that one instance in which they are allowed to tear down such sexy billboards or any other kind of outdoor advertisement is when these pose a danger to the safety and lives of the people.
One example, he said, is when a strong typhoon is about to hit Metro Manila, he could order his men to bring down these billboards as a precautionary measure.
Another, Ebdane said, is when the billboards are considered illegal because the advertisers failed to get the necessary permits and pay the required fees from the DPWH and the concerned local government units.
Data from the DPWH Metro Manila Urban Transport Integration Study showed that the traffic speed in Metro Manila is one of the worst in Asia.
The study disclosed that 10 kilometers per hour (kph) is often the pace during the rush hours in busy thoroughfares such as the historic Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) which crosses five Metro Manila cities, Ortigas Avenue, Shaw Boulevard and Roxas Boulevard.
According to the study, the level of congestion in Metro Manila is severe enough to cause an average travel speed of 10 kph, only faster than in Bangkok, Thailand, which has the lowest travel speed of any Asian city.
In Asia, Singapore has the fastest average travel speed of 30 kph; Hanoi, Vietnam, 20 kph; while Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Tokyo in Japan both have 15 kph, the study added.
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