MMDA NUMBER ONE VIOLATOR OF MMDA’s ROAD SIGNS RULES

MMDA NUMBER ONE VIOLATOR OF MMDA’s ROAD SIGNS RULES

It appears that the MMDA under Bayani Fernando is the number one violator of its own road signs regulations.

One of the MMDA tarpaulins states: “MGA BATAS AY ALAMIN AT SUNDIN” (Know and obey the laws).

The MMDA Chairman does not follow what he preaches.
On September 2, 2004, MMDA Chairman Fernando issued MMDA Regulation No. 04-004, Series of 2004, PRESCRIBING GUIDELINES ON THE INSTALLATION AND DISPLAY OF BILLBOARDS AND ADVERTISING SIGNS ALONG MAJOR AND SECONDARY THOROUGHFARES, AVENUES, STREETS, ROADS, PARKS AND OPEN SPACES WITHIN METRO MANILA AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF.
The MMDA regulation noted the following in its "Whereas" clauses:
“WHEREAS, it has been noted that some billboards and advertising signs are indiscriminately posted along major and secondary thoroughfares, streets, roads, avenues, parks and open spaces within Metro Manila;
“WHEREAS, some of these billboards and advertising signs distract the attention of motorists thereby causing road accidents and traffic;”
Section 7 (Prohibited Signs) of said MMDA Regulation states that the following signs shall be prohibited within the road rights of way of Metro Manila:
“ 7.5. Other signs that will pose danger/nuisance to the motorists or may cause inconvenience to the general public”
On August 21, 2006, the MMDA Chairman was quoted by newspapers as having stated: “There should be no commercial campaigns or advertisements along national roads.”
In spite of the MMDA regulation and pronouncements on road signs, the MMDA launched a massive tarpaulin campaign featuring giant photos of the MMDA Chairman.
In defending the huge photographs of the MMDA Chairman in the tarpaulins, the MMDA stated that the reason for that is to attract the attention of motorists so they would read the messages.
They are therefore meant to attract and distract the attention of motorists in violation of MMDA Regulation 04-004.
The said MMDA Regulation, Section 8 (Traffic Signs) provides as follows: “8.1 All traffic signs to be installed in all streets of Metro Manila whether local or national roads, shall conform to the international standards as to design and installation specifications embodied in the "Philippine Road Signs Manual" or subsequent revisions thereof. “
The said international standards are as follows as observed in the Philippines prior to Fernando’s pink signs and places like North America, Australia and New Zealand:
red with white for stop signs, yield, and forbidden actions (such as No Parking)
green with white letters for informational signs, such as directions, distances, and places
brown with white for signs to parks, historic sites, ski areas, forests, and campgrounds
blue with white for rest areas, food, gasoline or petrol, hospitals, and lodging
white with red or black letters for regulatory signs, such as speed limits or parking
yellow with black letters and symbols for warning signs, such as curves and school zones
orange with black letters for temporary traffic control zones and detours associated with road construction
Regulatory signs are also sometimes seen with white letters on red or black signs. In Quebec, blue is often used for tourist attractions and brown public services such as rest areas; many black-on-yellow signs are red-on-white instead. Many U.S. states and Quebec now use fluorescent orange for construction signs, and fluorescent yellow-green for school zone, crosswalk, pedestrian, and bicycle warning signs. Fluorescent pink signs are sometimes used for incident management warning (like typhoons, emergency shelters ands other civil defense signs).
Thus, international road sign color standards prescribe that pink signs are only for incident management or civil defense warning purposes.
Fernando’s pink signs for stop signs and forbidden actions like “Bawal Tumawid, Nakamamatay” proliferate all over the metropolis; those pink signs are not to warn about typhoons, emergency shelters and other civil defense purposes. In accordance with international standards and Fernando’s Regulation 04-004, those pink MMDA signs should have been Red with White letters.
The MMDA pink signs therefore violate international standards and MMDA Regulation 04-004.
MMDA Regulation 04-004 provides for fees and fines as follows:
Section 16. CLEARANCE FEE The clearance fee to be collected shall depend on the size and duration of installation/display of billboards and advertising signs which shall be determined by the MMDA (for those that will be posted along major thoroughfares) and the Office of the Mayor (for those that will be posted along local roads) which shall not be less than FIVE HUNDRED PESOS (P500.00) per clearance.
Section 17. ADMINISTRATIVE FINES
The following fines shall be imposed on any person, corporation or partnership found violating any of the provision of this Regulation: 1. First Offense
The fine shall be computed at P100.00 per square foot of surface space of the advertisement. Posters with less than a square foot shall be charged a minimum of P100.00.
Considering that the Bayani tarpaulins may number easily more than 1,000 all over Metro Manila, the MMDA Chairman should be paying a fee of at least P500 per tarpaulin or at least P500,000 before being installed.
And considering that those tarpaulins are obvious violations of Regulation 04-004, a fine of P100 per square foot should be paid. These are huge tarpaulins of at least 10 feet by 5 feet in dimension or 50 square feet. Therefore, each tarpaulin should be levied a fine of P5,000 and for 1,000 tarpaulins, that should be at least P5,000,000.
The question now: Who is liable to pay the fine? MMDA or the MMDA Chairman?
Since the MMDA Chairman is the personal political beneficiary of the tarpaulins, I believe he is personally liable for the P5,000,000 fines at the very least.
The pink signs, numbering thousands and thousands all over the metropolis, are all in violation of international color standards for road signs and collectively uglify Metro Manila.
MMDA Regulation 04-004 is not very clear on penalties for uglifying Metro Manila.
My message to the MMDA Chairman: “Mr. Chairman, MGA BATAS AY ALAMIN AT SUNDIN. Tear down those tarpaulins and pink signs!”