MANILA, Philippines—Two groups of outdoor advertisers are pushing for the speedy passage of a billboards safety law after three ads collapsed along Santolan, Edsa, hurting five people, on Monday afternoon.

“We are working closely with the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Billboard Safety Initiative to ensure that all rules and regulations regarding billboard safety are enforced across the entire industry,” said Frank Abueva, chair of the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines.

“We are pushing for a law against illegal bill boards and we call for the speedy passage of the Magna Carta for Billboard Safety in Congress,'' he said.

The management of the St. Jude Terminal Transit where a billboard of a fastfood chain fell during the heavy downpour on Monday, said they lost at least P10 million due to the accident.

Roderick Arganda, operations manager of the bus lines, said they lost P10 million in terms of property damage and income opportunities due to the disruption in terminal operations.

Agranda said the billboard, set up by the firm, Universal Outdoor, promised to shoulder all the expenses incurred by those injured.

He said they would file charges against the billboard operator should it fail to compensate them financially.

Lawyer Oliver San Antonio, a member of the Billboard Safety Initiative, called on all outdoor ad operators to ensure the safety of their structures and adhere to DPWH regulations.

“We are calling on other billboard operators to be pro-active in putting public safety first and to fully cooperate with DPWH,'' Antonio said.

The DPWH requires permits from local government units, which are tasked to examine the technical specifications of billboards; an insurance of P100,000; and a three-to-six-meter distance from a power line installation.

In 2006, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Administrative Order 160-A, for the demolition of billboards with specifications against regulations. The order was issued after giant outdoor ads were ripped away from their frames at the height of typhoon “Milenyo.”

AO 160 authorizes the public works department to inspect and determine which billboards pose imminent danger to life and property.

Billboards, which are found to be substandard based on the National Building Code and the Structural Code of the Philippines, are to be torn down.