THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
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Third Regular Session 
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SENATE 
(in substitution of Senate Bill No. 1714) 
S.B.No. 2482 
Prepared by the Committee on Public Works with Senator Defensor Santiago and Revilla, Jr. 
as authors 
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AN ACT 
REGULATING THE PLACEMENT OF BILLBOARDS SIGNS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Anti-Billboard Blight Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to ensure an 
improved quality of life for all, and to protect the scenery and environment. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act the term: 
(1) “Billboard” means an identification, description, illustration, or device which is 
affixed to or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, structure, or land and which 
directs attention to a product, place, activity, person, institution or business. 
(2) “Off-Premise Billboard” means a business billboard which directs the attention of the 
public to the business or activity conducted or product or service sold or offered at a location not 
on the same premises where such business sign is located. 
(3) “DPW” means the Department of Public Works and Highways. 
(4) “MMDA” means the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. 
(5) “DOT” means the Department of Tourism. 
SECTION 4. Regulation of Off-Site Signs and Billboards. - Any off-premise sign erected 
after the effective date of this Act shall comply with the following standards: 
(1) No billboard shall be located in a position that obstructs or obscures the view of 
vehicular or pedestrian traffic in such a manner as to endanger the safe movement thereof. 
(2) Each billboard shall be set back at least twenty-five (25) feet &om any road or street 
right-of-way line, measured from the closest part of the billboard. 
(3) No billboard shall be located within one thousand ( 1,000) feet of any interchange, 
within one thousand (1,000) feet of any right-of-way of any underpass, overpass, bridge or 
tunnel, or within one thousand (1,000) feet of any street intersection. 
(4) All billboards shall be erected in conformity with the front, side and rear yard 
requirements of the district in which they are located. 
(5) No billboard shall be erected within a one thousand (1,000) feet circumference of the 
nearest property line of any of the following: 
(a) historic site 


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(b) school 
(c) church 
(d) hospital 
(e) retirement or nursing home 
(f) cemetery 
(g) governmental building 
(h) public park 
(i) playground 
(i) recreation area 
(k) convention center 
(1) or any area in which billboards are prohibited. 
(6) NO billboard shall be permitted whenever property zoned as residential would be 
between the sign and the roadway toward which it is oriented. 
(7) No part or foundation or support of any billboard shall be placed on, in, or over any 
private property without the written consent of the property owner. 
(8) No part or foundation or support of any billboard shall be placed on, in, or over any 
public property, including public rights-of-way, or any utility or drainage easement, or upon 
telephone or utility poles, or natural features such as trees and rocks. 
(9) No billboard shall be erected or maintained upon or above the roof of any building 
structure. 
(10) No billboard shall be constructed on a lot where it obscures or shades the windows 
or doorways of adjacent buildings. 
(1 1) No two billboards located upon, or oriented towards traffic traveling upon, the same 
side of a public street or road with four (4) or more lanes shall be spaced less than two thousand 
(2,000) feet apart; on the same side of public streets or roads with less than four lanes, the 
spacing shall be no less than one thousand (1,000) feet apart. This distance shall be measured 
along a straight line between the two nearest points of the signs. The minimum spacing 
requirement shall not apply to two panels viewed fiom different directions which share a 
common support structure. Nor shall any billboard be located within a one thousand foot (1,000 
ft.) radius of any other billboard even though the two billboards are on different streets. 
(12) NO billboard shall exceed three hundred square feet (300 sq. e.) in total surface 
display area. 
(13) Billboards may be single-faced or double-faced but no billboard shall contain more 
than one face on each side of the display and the surface area shall not exceed a total area of 
three hundred square feet (300 sq. e.) per structure [face]. 
(14) NO billboard shall be permitted which, because of its size, shape, or location, may 
obscure or obstruct the view of vehicular or pedestrian traffic or be confused with any authorized 
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traffic control sign, signal, or device. 


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(15) No billboard shall be permitted which, because of its size, shape, or location, may 
impair any scenic vista &om the highway or a building adjacent to the highway or to the 
billboard. 
(16) No billboard shall exceed fifty (50) feet in height. This distance shall be measured 
from ground level at the base of the billboard's support system to the highest point of the 
billboard. 
(17) No billboard structure shall be built that will not withstand wind gusts of less than 
two hundred forty (240) kilometers per hour, and not withstand an earthquake with a magnitude 
of less than seven (7) on the Richter scale. 
(18) No billboard structure shall be built with an overhang. All billboard structures shall, 
from the ground up, have the same size as its base. 
SECTION d I  Permit Fee and Inventory of Billboards. - 
(1) As of the effective date of this Act, the annual fee for a billboard permit for a new 
construction of a billboard shall be Seven Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (P7,500.00). 
(2) The DPWH in coordination with the MMDA shall use additional revenues resulting 
from subsection (1) to conduct a thorough countrywide inventory of all billboards, including 
plotting the exact location of each sign, determining whether or not each sign has a valid permit 
from the DPWH, MMDA and any local government agency charged with regulating billboards. 
SECTION 6. 
Insurance. - No billboard structure shall be erected without a mandatory 
insurance coverage, the amount of which is to be determined by the DPWH. 
SECTION?.,. Enforcement of the Act - It shall be the primary duty of the DPWH to 
effectively enforce the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION &. Liability of Officers. - Any officer of the duly designated enforcement 
agency who fails or neglect to enforce the provisions of this act shall be liable administratively 
and in addition, shall be fled of no less than twenty thousand pesos (P20,OOO.OO) and not more 
than one hundred thousand pesos (PlOO,OOO.OO). The filing of criminal charges against the ening 
officer is not barred by this provision. 
SECTION 9 . Assisting Entities. - In compiling this inventory mentioned in Section 6, 
the DPWH shall cooperate with billboard permit holders, local governments, the MMDA, 
nongovernmental organizations and citizens groups concerned with scenic conservation and 
transportation. 
SECTION 10. Development of OBcial Business Directional Sips. - The DOT is directed 
to develop, construct and contract with public and private entities for the construction and 
maintenance of official business directional signs in addition to any such signs currently operated 
by the DOT. The DOT shall consult with scenic conservation groups, businesses and business 
organizations, and local governments to facilitate the development of these signs in such a way 
as to allow businesses to reach the traveling public without the deleterious impact of billboards 
on scenery. 


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SECTION 11. Transitory Provision. - All billboard structures not conforming with the 
provisions of itis act shall immediately be dismantled by their owners or corrected accordingly, 
provided, that those covered by existing advertising contracts are given two (2) years to novate 
said contracts to conform with the provisions herein. 
SECTION .I2 
Separability Clause. - If any provisions or part hereof, is invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 1.4 Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
Approved, 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.