Outdoor Media Observer

Manila court throws out move to restrict billboard size

2013-11-25T10:30:00.000+08:00

A court in Manila has thrown out a move to restrict the size of billboards in the Philippine capital.

The local government attempted to limit billboard size by introducing new laws in September, but a local court has quashed the move.

The Makati Regional Trial Court ordered the Metro Manila Development Authority to hold off the restrictions, issuing an injunction preventing the government agency from “universally implementing and enforcing…issuances regarding billboards”.

The order further prevents the MMDA from “confiscating, rolling down and/or demolishing or otherwise dismantling the billboards of Petitioners and all other entities similarly engaged in the business of outdoor media advertising on the basis of non-compliance”.

The injunction was issued in response to a petition by members of industry association Outdoor Media Advocacy Group, which argued that MMDA’s issuances were inconsistent with existing laws that govern the industry.

The restrictions would have meant that billboards would have been limited to 216 square meters.

From: http://mumbrella.asia/2013/11/manila-court-throws-move-restrict-billboard-size/

November 21st, 2013 at 11:18 am

Court orders MMDA to leave billboards alone

2013-11-25T10:21:00.001+08:00

The Makati Regional Trial Court has issued an injunction preventing the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) from policing the outdoor advertising industry.

The order prevents the MMDA or any other government agency from “confiscating, rolling down and/or demolishing or otherwise dismantling the billboards of Petitioners and all other entities similarly engaged in the business of outdoor media advertising on the basis of non-compliance.”

This negates the Metro Manila Outdoor Media Magna Carta, signed by the MMDA and industry groups last September to standardize the size and appearance of billboards in major thoroughfares in Metro Manila next year.

The Outdoor Media Advocacy Group (OMAG) said that the order was issued last 25 October in response to a petition they filed about the Magna Carta’s inconsistencies with existing laws.

The group is referring to Presidential Decree 1096, or the National Building Code (NBC) and its Amended Rules and Regulations (ARR), which has been looking after structures such as billboards in the country for decades.

OMAG also revealed the MMDA proceeded to dismantle billboard sites despite having existing permits, causing them “significant business losses.”

OMAG Executive Director, Atty. Troy Banez explained that the injunction, though filed by the OMAG members, also protects all other outdoor media companies from the MMDA.

“This is an important development not just for OMAG – but for the rest of the outdoor media industry in the Philippines, whose very existence was being threatened by the extra-legal issuances and actions of the MMDA,” Banez added.

He said it is high time for a “law that is truly reflective of and responsive to the rightful role that outdoor media plays in the Philippines.”

“Outdoor media has evolved since the NBC was enacted in 1946 and the ARR was laid down in 2007. What we urgently need is a law on outdoor media that is set in the context of the here and now, even as it presciently peers into the technological, economic and environmental landscapes of the future,” he concluded.

From: http://www.marketing-interactive.com/court-orders-mmda-leave-billboards-alone/

21/11/2013 Thu 15:49 in Philippines by Oliver Bayani

DOOH4

2013-11-03T16:11:00.001+08:00

This year it happens in Makati City!

The 4th Philippine Forum on Digital Out-Of-Home Media will be convened at Old Swiss Inn near Peninsula Manila Along Makati Ave.

9:00 AM, November 6, 2013.
Limited seats. Text 0919-846-4855 or email martinezeno@gmail.com to secure yours. P1,000 with brunch.

Overview
It seems just like yesterday when photographic tarpaulin billboards changed the face of outdoor advertising, making hand-painted billboards a thing of the past. Today, we are headed towards another revolution in out-of-home media wherein dynamic images displayed on LED and LCD screens will easily overtake static billboards in terms of audience engagement.

As we head towards this revolution, the Philippine Center for Out-Of-Home Media Research and Science has created a venue for stakeholders in this budding industry to come together and shape the future of this medium.

The stage is now set for the 4th Philippine Forum on Digital Out-Of-Home Media.

For the past 3 years we have invited to this forum a host of people from ad agencies, advertisers, digital media practitioners, and out-of-home media suppliers plus entrepreneurs who wish to venture into digital signage, as well as the key people who drive this medium. Known as the system integrators, they are the people who provide the hardware and software for DOOH systems.

Under this environment, we hope to hear the voices of the various entities who have a stake not just in the future of Digital OOH media but OOH media as a whole.

Have your Wednesday brunch with the experts.

Manolo Almagro, SVP Managing Director Digital + Retail Technologies at TPN will be in the Philippines to talk on Retail Tech Trends and wearable technology.

Lloyd Tronco, vice president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines and an OOH influencer, will discuss where DOOH is headed. Lloyd is the executive director of the Philippine Center for Out-Of-Home Media Research and Science (philCOuRSe)

Bing Kimpo, Media and Marketing Communications Professional, practitioner of Out-Of-Home, Mobile and Point-Of-Transaction Work will share his insights.

Seats limited to 36 pax only. Book yours now. Here: http://digitaloohforum.weebly.com/

"3D Billboards"

2013-11-03T11:43:00.001+08:00

The furniture brand installed "3D billboards" with real people in functioning bathroom set-ups.

Leah Gonzalez on October 31, 2013. @leahgonz

Swedish furniture brand IKEA installed “3D billboards” featuring real people at the Saint Lazare train station in Paris.

The installations consisted of two functioning bathrooms installed several feet above the ground and actors going about their bathroom routines, including brushing their teeth and styling their hair.

The installations came with the slogan, “At last a bathroom that rises above (the rest).”

Earlier this year IKEA turned two waiting rooms at electric car rental scheme Auto’lib into bathrooms.

Leah Gonzalez on October 31, 2013. @leahgonz

From: http://www.psfk.com/2013/10/ikeas-live-billboards.html

Lost ad revenues for NAIA-2 could have gone to airport maintenance

2013-01-10T10:22:00.000+08:00

There was big money after all. (reposted from http://www.thepoc.net)

Lost ad revenues for NAIA-2 could have gone to airport maintenance

Tuesday, 08 January 2013 13:33 Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

A travel bloggers’ website “Sleeping at Airports” placed Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal (NAIA) 1 as one of the worst airports in Asia in 2012 following a year-long survey of budget travelers on their website. NAIA 1 got the same rating in 2011 by the site. It must be noted that airport’s management started a major refurbishment program early in 2012 that “include the repair and improvement of all toilets, the expansion of both the departure and arrival lobbies, the widening of the passenger areas, the addition of Immigration counters, and the installation of a new Flight Information Display System.” Unfortunately, the repairs were not finished in time of the conduct of the survey. Despite the dismal rating, the Philippines is listed as a highly-recommended destination by many travel magazines

Philippines ,a highly-recommended destination for 2013

Condé Nast Traveller recently listed the Philippines as one of the destinations to watch in 2013. They say “It's still not the most obvious beach-holiday destination, but it soon will be.” Ivan Henares shows a list that place Philippines as one of the highly-recommended destination by travel magazines for 2013. With great recommendations from these reputable travel magazines, the Philippines will surely see more tourists.

Manila as the gateway to our beautiful private-island retreats needs to have an efficient airport to accommodate the influx of tourists. Being labeled as one of the worst airports in Asia prodded President Noynoy Aquino to earmark the release of the P1.16 billion for the rehabilitation of NAIA Terminal 1 in a bid to make the airport a world-class facility. It makes me wonder why the airport itself could not earmark maintenance expense through the years.

Let’s watch the recent news unfold.

Ad placements , a source of MIAA revenues

One source of revenue for our airports are terminal fees. The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the Department of Transportation and Communications-attached agency that operates NAIA’s four terminals reported that net income from operations totaled P3.21 billion, an increase of P1.14 billion over 2010. Of the 2011 gross revenue, P937 million went to the national government. It is clear that MIAA revenues come from the increase in flight and passenger figures in both international and domestic operations.

What most of us are not aware is that revenues can also come from ad placements. Advertisements play a vital role in driving revenue for NAIA Terminals 1, 2, and 3. Do you recall seeing those ads as you step down from the plane and walk the immigration counter till you leave the terminal? Well, MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado ordered a bidding on August 2012 as soon as the five year NAIA-2 contract from Digichive Philippines (Digichive) expired. Digichive , a company in advertising services based in San Juan ia responsible for managing the placement of ads at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport . News reports show that Digichive only gave MIAA P13.5 million each year from NAIA-2 ads. If you take a cursory look at all the ad boards in NAIA-2, is it imaginable to derive 13.5 million pesos each year? The bidding for NAIA 2 ad placements showed Digichive offered P101.5 million which translates to P8 million a month, which is much more the the P1 million monthly MIAA used to receive from for the past five years.

The winning bid amounted to P126 million per year for the next three years. That should have been good news for MIAA but another hurdle faces them.

Injunction, a loss of advertising revenues for NAIA-2

Last Friday, the Office of San Juan Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Leoncio Janolo, Jr. issued an injunction that stops the awarding of a P126-million contract for advertising spaces at NAIA- 2.

Though the MIAA board favored the higher offer,it is now “restrained from awarding the contract to the winning party following the temporary restraining order, paving the way for DPC to continue doing business at NAIA-2. The board said the premier airport would continue to lose P88 million annually from advertising revenues at NAIA-2 as a result of the injunction.”

Horado added “that the government lost a total of P440 million in potential advertising revenue over the past five years.“ Imagine how this potential advertising revenue could have paid one-third of the 1.16 billion of upgrading NAIA 1. Taxpayers money could have been used for other worthwhile projects. It is also high time for the government to check on old MIAA contracts and subject them to reasonableness tests.

If you think about it, this amount could have gone a long way in funding major renovations and upgrading of facilities for all of the four passenger terminals managed by MIAA. The plan of Honrado for NAIA-2 to earn much more from its advertising spaces is now placed on hold. The Miaa estimated that, “because of the TRO, it would fail to increase its advertising revenues, foregoing monthly income of about P11 million, which surely could help finance facility upgrades at the terminals.”

OAAP Weather Advisory

2012-12-26T17:47:00.000+08:00

Tropical Storm QUINTA

Tropical Storm "Quinta" continues to move quickly across Northwestern Visayas. It will continue to enchance the Northeast Monsoon (Amihan) and bring moderate to strong winds "on and off" rains across Eastern & Southern Luzon including Metro Manila today.

Please continue to monitor weather forecast and roll down tarps when necessary in areas affected by strong winds to prevent damages for public safety.

http://www.oaap.org.ph/weather-advisory.html

SMART's Neon Crown on Billboard Seen More Than Kilometer Away

2012-12-06T15:39:00.000+08:00

In an age where digital LED screens are beginning to become the norm for out-of-home media placements, telco giant SMART has been able to maximize the use of a medium from the early 20th century and make it work harder for the brand. We're talking about neon here. Quite retro in it's characteristics, neon has proven itself to be an efficient magnet for audience attention.

In this picture, the SMART neon crown atop the billboard in Guadalupe is seen from more than a kilometer away in Mandaluyong. By Google Map estimates, the distance from where one can see the SMART neons is as far back as 1.1 kilometers!

While spectacular already in its powder blue radiance, we await the days when the lights begin to "dance" through a flashing sequence.

From: http://www.edsabillboard.com/

MMDA, OAAP agree

2012-12-01T23:30:00.000+08:00

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2012/11/29/876533/mmda-outdoor-advertisers-agree-billboard-rules

MMDA, outdoor advertisers agree on billboard rules

(philstar.com) | Updated November 29, 2012 - 5:03pm

On Wednesday, the MMDA signed a memorandum of agreement with the Advertising Board of the Philippines (AdBoard), the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA), the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4As) and the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP).

Under the agreement, the construction of billboards and the acquisition of new billboard sites by members of OAAP will be suspended during a period of six months.

Only those OAAP members that have already pending applications and had substantially complied with the documentations demanded by government agencies concerned shall be allowed to put-up new billboards.

During the moratorium of six months, the MMDA will also refrain from dismantling the billboards of OAAP members.

All advertising tarpaulins which were earlier taken down and confiscated from billboard frames owned by OAAP members will also be released by the MMDA and will be re-installed during the same period.

Both the MMDA and the outdoor advertising groups have also agreed to draft the agreement’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR) within the moratorium period.

The parties also agreed to set up a permanent Metro Manila Outdoor Media Council (MMOMC) that will be responsible for the implementation of the IRR. The IRR will cover and define the allowable size, distance and structural integrity of billboards.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said the agreement with the outdoor advertisers would not only regulate the use of billboards but will also prevent the operation of illegal billboard owners.

“In effect, this is a partnership. With the support of groups here present, colorum billboard operators will definitely be prevented,” he added. - Mike Frialde

Outdoor Advertising :Reawakening of Out-of-Home Media Advertisements

2012-11-07T00:32:00.001+08:00

I am not really sure if you are still familiar with the term " Outdoor Advertisement".
If you belong to Y- Generation like me, I think that it is also a Jurassic Era term for you.( " Growwllll!!!", the Dinosaur said.)
In the middle of digital marketing revolution, where the use of internet and social media becomes pandemic,especially in brand or product promotion, one must not loose an eye on Outdoor Advertisement.
Me and my sister usually travel from Bataan to Manila. We stay on the bus for 3 to 4 hours.
One of our favorite contest was to count as many billboards as we can along the way!

But inside my mind, I am asking this question: " Why do businesses of great brands waste their time to hire a superstar to pose like crazy, print it to a giant canvas and display it on a billboard???"

Is the impact for the buyers worth it?

Asking this inside my mind, I came along searching the internet and saw a research from Forbes.

It's a really Interesting Article that will make you rethink about the industry:

You remember outdoor advertising, don’t you? And when I say “outdoor advertising,” I’m not talking about the ads on bus stops or even on the sides of buses, for that matter. And I am also not talking about ads that run on gas pumps, either. I’m talking about billboards. You know those huge poster boards that dot the main highways and byways of our great land.

I don’t know about you but I am in my car for approximately 45 minutes each morning on my way to work and about an hour on my home. And I notice bilboards. Now I readily admit I am not normal. The reasons for this are many but in this context I say I am not normal because I look at billboards. I study them. I notice when new ones go up, old ones go down and when the local graffiti artist decides he or she needs a new canvas.

So you can’t go by me when asking the question “Does outdoor advertising still work?” Being in the “biz” I look at them from a different perspective as many of you may as well. But of course this is not about me or you, at least in the professional vein. No this is about me, you and our fellow consumers and whether or not billboards – be they traditional of digital, have any impact on us when it comes to making a purchase.

I went looking for some research and what I found was The Arbitron National In-Car Study, 2009 edition, which is the most-recent edition of this particular study, at least from I could gather. Either way, the findings, I think, are very relevant and paint a very interesting picture into the minds and psyche of the American consumer and what impact, if any, billboards have on us when it comes to marketing and advertising.

Now the first thing to know is we spend a lot of time in our cars. On average each of us spends upwards of 20 hours per week and travel more than 200 miles per week.

Now of course what this all means is there is ample time for us to be exposed to all sorts of billboard advertising. The question, of course, is do we pay attention to it and if so, does it cause us to make a purchase?

Well, to the question of whether we pay attention to billboards, the study showed that 71% of us “often look at the messages on roadside billboards (traditional and digital combined) and more than one-third (37%) report looking at an outdoor ad each or most of the time they pass one.” And check out the stats on digital billboards in the chart to the right as well as digital billboards are getting noticed.

As to exactly what information we are gleaning from a billboard varies as according to the study more than half of billboard viewers aged 18 or older have…

Learned about an event they were interested in attending (58%)
Learned about a restaurant they later visited (58%)
Talked about something funny they saw (56%) on a roadside billboard
Been reminded to tune into a TV program (33%) or a radio station (44%)
Noted a phone number (26%) or Web site address (28%) written on an outdoor billboard

Now I don’t know about you but I never remember a website or phone number I see on a billboard for if I want to know something about a given company, I will do what millions others do every day when they want to know something… I Google it.

Ok, now what about purchase decision and influence?

Well, according to the study, “billboard viewers make shopping decisions while in the car.”

72% of billboard viewers frequently or sometimes shop on their way home from work
68% frequently or sometimes make their shopping decisions while in the car
38% make the decision to stop at the store while on their way home
24% say they were motivated to visit a particular store that day because of an outdoor ad message
32% visited the retailer they saw on a billboard later that week
50% reported receiving directional information from a billboard
24% said they have immediately visited a business because of an outdoor ad message

One last stat from the survey… not surprisingly, grocery stores/supermarkets or large retail chains were the locations most often cited by respondents as the places they visit on their way home – good news for retailers who are considering some billboard advertising.

So, it would appear, at least from the findings from the study that outdoor advertising does work, at least in the sense that people A) notice it and B) are influenced by it to somedegree. But… this does not mean all marketers and advertiser should run right out and start a billboard campaign. Can’t just have a billboard to have a billboard. You have to do it right… which leads me to how I want to end this article with an example a billboard done right and a billboard done, well… not so right.

I don’t think I have to tell you which one is which, do I? Ok, if you insist. The one done right is the one that conveys a message in an entertaining or clever manner as opposed to the one that conveys a very crowded message with various fonts and colors and leave you with a splitting headache.

Register Now for the 2012 OOH Media Conference at SMX; November 16, 2012

2012-11-01T09:40:00.004+08:00

Calling all Outdoor Advertising practitioners and advocates!

Organized by:

Managed by:

The Next Level...Meet The Challenge

The 2012 OOH Media Conference
November 16, 2012 ; 10am to 4pm ; SMX Hall 1 Conference Area
Call : 898-2198 for Registration

Conference Speakers

Ms. Venus Navalta

Chairman of ZenithOptimedia

Venus joined ZenithOptimedia, Philippines as Chairman in 2010. She re-launched and quicky grew ZenithOptimedia to be one of the biggest and most dynamic media agencies in the Philippines. Recently, ZenithOptimedia was honored by the industry as the "Media Agency of the Year 2011". Venus will be the Keynote Speaker of the OAP 2012 Conference

Mr. Jim Liu
President, Kinetic China

Topic: OOH in China before and now, learnings and success stories, sharing of best practices, and digital OOH industry.

Mr. Bharad Ramesh

Regional Executive Director for Operations and Trading for Asia, Starcom Mediavest Group

Topic: Human Experience Planning in Out of Home

Mr. Ricky Pena

Senior Vice President, Digitel Mobile Philippines

Topic: How OOH has help Sun Cellular in the overall marketing and communication strategies and vision for the OOH industry.

Mr. Edward Tang

General Manager, Singapore Press Holdings MediaBoxOffice

Topic: OOH in Singapore, success stories and executions and to share best practices that we can learn from as we move forward to develop more innovative and technologically advanced OOH formats in the Philippines.

Ms. Blen Fernando

Vice President for Marketing, Alaska Milk Corporation

How OOH Media has helped Alaska Milk Corp. in the overall marketing and communications strategies for its brands.

Mr. Lloyd Tronco

Executive Director, Philippine Center for Our-of-Home Research and Science.

Topic: Exploring the new "Tri-media"

The Next Level...Meet The Challenge

The 2012 OOH Media Conference
November 16, 2012 ; 10am to 4pm ; SMX Hall 1 Conference Area
Call : 898-2198 for Registration

DOOH.3

2012-10-05T18:16:00.000+08:00

REGISTER at: digitaloohforum.weebly.com/
Programme

Sponsor:

Media Partners:

Coming Very Soon!

2012-09-14T16:06:00.001+08:00

Art Replaces Advertisements At MRT

2012-08-15T09:04:00.001+08:00

Art Replaces Advertisements At MRT | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

By KRIS BAYOS

August 14, 2012, 7:46pm

The Metro Rail Transit (MRT) is pulling out advertisements displayed at its stations, replacing in their stead art works from schools and universities.

The pull-out of advertisements will result in at least P1 million a month in non-rail revenues, according to MRT general manager Al Vitangcol III.

"MRT is only earning P1 million from advertisement per month. The advertising contracts are disadvantageous to the government so we deemed it better to not renew them, better not to have any at all," he said.

The contracts with various advertisers were forged before the assumption of Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

Vitangcol said that the previous management of MRT has sold the stations' prime advertising space at very low price, which is very disadvantageous to the government.

In lieu of the advertisements, art pieces contributed by different colleges and universities will be displayed at the MRT stations.

"Losing P1 million per month is small compared to the gain we will have for giving passengers an aesthetic experience every time they ride the MRT," Vitangcol said.

The official said they aim to make traversing the stretch of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) via the MRT 3 like strolling around an art museum for riders.

Billboard operators group not keen on paying road user’s tax

2012-04-27T09:04:00.001+08:00

Billboard operators group not keen on paying road user’s tax

By Miko Morelos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

An outdoor advertisers group has bewailed Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Francis Tolentino’s proposal to make it mandatory for billboard operators to pay the road user’s tax, saying there was no logic
behind it.

“We don’t see the need for that but our group is a law-abiding organization. If the law says we are included in the tax, then we will follow it,” lawyer Troy Bañez of the Outdoor Media Advocacy Group told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Monday.

Bañez, however, pointed out that he saw no “direct connection between roads and billboards,” adding that their signboards were standing on private lots.

He expressed concern that the move may be Tolentino’s way of getting back at the group which sued the MMDA chair last month for usurpation of authority.

In particular, the group questioned four memorandum circulars issued by Tolentino which imposed additional restrictions on the size and content of billboards.

“We hope that this proposal is not a retaliatory measure. We are only advocating the proper implementation of the additional rules and regulation of the National Building Code,” Bañez said.

On Sunday, Tolentino suggested that outdoor advertising operators be included among those required to pay the road user’s tax since billboards “derive their value solely from their direct use of roads.”

“Simply put, if there aren’t [any] roads, there wouldn’t be billboards,” he said.

Tolentino added that the additional revenues could be used for road maintenance and improvement projects, including the installation of traffic safety signs.

(http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/177847/billboard-operators-group-not-keen-on-paying-road-user%E2%80%99s-tax)

Billboard builders sue MMDA chairman

2012-03-30T10:27:00.000+08:00

Billboard builders sue MMDA chairman

Ad group to Tolentino: You can’t make own rules

By Miko Morelos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

10:13 pm | Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

The battle over the Metro Manila skyline resumes.

An organization of outdoor advertisers on Wednesday accused Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino of overstepping the agency’s authority in implementing his campaign against oversized billboards along major thoroughfares.

The Outdoor Media Advocacy Group Inc. (OMAG) is questioning four memorandum circulars issued by Tolentino that imposed additional size and content restrictions on billboards.

Long before the MMDA campaign, the proliferation of outdoor ads in the metropolis has drawn criticism especially from advocates of urban planning and beautification, who see the giant billboards both as eyesores marring the cityscape and as deadly hazards during typhoons.

The MMDA website features a page identifying the ads and outdoor ad companies cited for violations, like failure to secure building permits from the local government and noncompliance with the space clearance required for such structures.

The OMAG complained that Tolentino “evidently acted beyond the scope of his authority and in excess of his jurisdiction.”

“[The Department of Public Works and Highways] did not delegate to MMDA the power to promulgate its own rules or promulgate additional implementing rules,” according to the group’s 11-page complaint filed at the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office.

The group said Tolentino had “arrogated unto himself legislative powers by promulgating the aforesaid memorandum circulars containing provisions that are not found” in the National Building Code and its implementing rules and regulations.

MMDA legal service director Rochelle Macapili-Ona deferred comment when reached by the Inquirer, pending receipt of the complaint.

Represented by its executive director, Winthrop Bañez, OMAG mainly assailed the MMDA’s issuance of the four memos last year, which the group alleged to be a criminal usurpation of legislative power.

The four memos spelled out additional restrictions on the size and content of billboards, required advertisers to secure another set of permits from the MMDA, and prescribed a new schedule of fees and penalties.

Like in the previous complaints faced by the MMDA on the matter, the OMAG said the agency does not have any legislative function and therefore could not create its own set of rules to govern outdoor billboards in Metro Manila.

The regulation of billboards is under the National Building Code, which the DPWH implements. In a memorandum of agreement signed in August 2010, the department authorized the MMDA to implement sections of the code related to billboards.

But the OMAG argued that the MMDA chairman could only implement regulations already set by the code and not “issue implementing rules of his own governing the installation and maintenance of outdoor billboards, advertising and display signs … in Metro Manila.”

“Chair Tolentino’s acts are a clear violation of the law and a manifest encroachment upon the power of the DPWH,” the complaint stressed.

The suit is the second complaint filed against the MMDA in connection with its anti-billboard campaign.

Late last year, the Outdoor Advertisers Association of the Philippines also tried to stop the MMDA following what it claimed to be the illegal dismantling of billboards put up by its member groups.

The association initially secured a temporary restraining order from a Makati City court. But the judge later junked the complaint, saying the group did not represent members who were directly affected by the policy.

From: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/168663/billboard-builders-sue-mmda-chairman

Dateline: Iloilo City

2012-03-21T15:54:00.000+08:00

Most city billboards do not have permits
By: Lydia C. Pendon

THE CITY Engineering Office (CEO) will soon inventory billboards and outdoor advertisements in Iloilo City to determine their structural stability.

However, Engr. Jose Cloyd Grecia of CEO pointed out that most billboards here possibly do not have permits from city hall since the same did not pass through his office. These billboards are usually erected in private properties and the billboard owners pay rent to the building or landowner.

Grecia, chief of CEO Structural Division, said he is appealing to billboard owners and contractors to be cautious and practice safety measures in putting up billboards especially in busy streets and congested residential areas.

Proposed ordinance
An ordinance codifying the streamers and billboards ordinances in the city of Iloilo was proposed during a Sangguniang Panlungsod public hearing Tuesday.

Grecia cautioned that the wind velocity in the city is fast changing due to the effects of climate change.

He also cautioned against the use of light materials such as bamboos or wood as support structure of billboards. Instead, use steel frames to withstand strong winds especially during typhoons.

The CEO official said the ideal highest height of billboards must be 25 meters from the ground or if installed in the building, must include height of the building plus of the billboard or a total of not more than 25 meters.

The codification ordinance is proposed by Councilor Plaridel Nava and the public hearing was conducted by the SP committee on rules chaired by city councilor Joshua Alim.

MMDA Memo Circular on Billboards

2012-03-07T16:07:00.005+08:00

2011 MMDA Memorandum Circular No. 12	-	ADDITIONAL IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES OF MMDA REGULATION NO. 04-004, SERIES OF 2004, THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS AND THE METROPOLITAN MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DATED AUGUST 31, 2010, AND THE MAY 19, 2011 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS AND THE METROPOLITAN MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY CONCERNING REGULATION Of SIZES, HEIGHTS AND LOCATION OF BILLBOARDS AND ADVERTISING SIGNS ALONG MAJOR AND SECONDARY THOROUGHFARES, AVENUES, STREETS, ROADS, PARKS AND OPEN SPACES WITHIN METROPOLITAN MANILA.
2011 MMDA Memorandum Circular No. 11	-	IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES OF MMDA REGULATION NO. 04-004, SERIES OF 2004, THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS AND THE METROPOLITAN MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DATED AUGUST 31, 2010, AND THE MAY 19, 2011 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS AND THE METROPOLITAN MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY CONCERNING THE CONTENTS OF BILLBOARDS AND ADVERTISING SIGNS ALONG MAJOR AND SECONDARY THOROUGHFARES, AVENUES, STREETS, ROADS, PARKS AND OPEN SPACES WITHIN METROPOLITAN MANILA.
2011 MMDA Memorandum Circular No. 10	-	IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES OF MMDA REGULATION NO. 04-004, SERIES OF 2004, THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS AND THE METROPOLITAN MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DATED AUGUST 31, 2010, AND THE MAY 19, 2011 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS AND THE METROPOLITAN MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY CONCERNING CLEARANCES AND PERMITS FOR BILLBOARDS AND ADVERTISING SIGNS ALONG MAJOR AND SECONDARY THOROUGHFARES, AVENUES, STREETS, ROADS, PARKS AND OPEN SPACES WITHIN METROPOLITAN MANILA.

OAAP Induction Ceremonies 2012

2012-02-21T14:14:00.002+08:00

The Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP) will hold the induction of its 2012 Officers and Directors on February 23, 2012 at the Dusit Thani Manila in Makati City. This occasion will also mark the formal launch of the Outdoor Advertising Philippines Expo & Conference 2012 (OAP 2012) and the 2^nd Tanaw Awards – excellence in Out-Of-Home Advertising.

Keynote speaker for the event is Ms. Margot Torres, 2012 president of the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA), while Mr. Ricky Alegre, 2012 Chairman of the Advertising Board of the Philippines (AdBoard) will be the inducting officer.

Attending as guests will be officers of the various AdBoard member-associations as well as OAAP Visayas and Mindanao chapter, media partners, clients and friends in the industry.

For more details, please call Ms. Weng Reyes at 843-8201.

Update: MMDA official posts bail

2012-02-04T09:28:00.000+08:00

MMDA official nabbed for extortion posts bail

ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 02/03/2012 5:09 PM | Updated as of 02/03/2012 11:34 PM

MANILA, Philippines – A Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) official who was arrested for accepting extortion money has posted bail.

Engineer Narciso Yamat, who was in charge of the MMDA's operation against illegal billboards, posted a P100,000 bail.

He was arrested Tuesday night after he received 30,000 in marked money from the complainant Ad World.
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino had sacked Yamat following his arrest.

The MMDA legal department is preparing to file administrative charges against Yamat. -- Reports from Alex Santos, ABS-CBN News; ANC
==
From: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/02/03/12/mmda-official-nabbed-extortion-posts-bail

MMDA Official Dismissed for Extortion

2012-02-03T10:13:00.003+08:00

Chief of MMDA's Baklas Billboard arrested for extortion
February 3, 2012

A Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) official was recently dismissed from his post for allegedly extorting money from a billboard operator.

Arrested was Engineer Narciso Yamat, consultant and chief of "MMDA Baklas Tarpaulin and Billboard Team" in an entrapment operation after receiving 30,000 pesos in marked money inside a fastfood restaurant in Mandaluyong City.

Yamat was accused of extortion and harassment by Adworld Advertising, a billboard operator and a member of the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP), the industry association of billboard operators nationwide.

Yamat allegedly threatened Adworld that if they do not pay 50,000 pesos per billboard per month, their tarpaulins will be removed and their billboards will be dismantled even in the absence of a court order and despite all their billboards having complied with regulations.

MMDA is said to be studying the filing of an administrative case against Yamat.

Report from ABS-CBN News

Jay Bautista leaves Nielsen

2012-02-02T16:40:00.002+08:00

The Nielsen Company Managing Director Jay Bautista Bows Out

2/02/2012 03:52:00 PM

When a great leader from an industry force departs from its ranks, it is no wonder that people around him will feel the absence.

The Nielsen Company Philippines' Managing Director Jay Bautista said goodbye to the company he served for the past 19 years, just this Tuesday.

A family man who has earned the trust of employees, colleagues and clients alike, Mr. Bautista's resignation came as a shock to an industry who knew him to be a man of integrity, willing to do what it takes to deliver excellent, thorough work.

Mr. Bautista worked his way through the market research corporate ladder, with his first step as a marketing assistant in the Philippine Monitoring Services in 1993. Years after the Philippine Monitoring Services was acquired by ACNielsen, he was appointed as the Associate Director in July 2002. After around 2 years, Nielsen Media Research Phils (NMR) promoted him as its media research director. The Nielsen Company then named him as its Executive Director in 2005, with his work entailing the overall management of the Philippine market. Then in 2011, Mr. Bautista became The Nielsen Company's Managing Director of Media.

After 19 years of this illustrious career, there is no word yet on what we can expect from Jay Bautista next. Neither is there any word on who will fill his shoes. One thing is clear, however. Those shoes will be pretty tough to fill.

***

Source: Campaign Singapore

MMDA's response to injunction

2012-01-30T17:33:00.000+08:00

MMDA to seek reversal of order vs billboard crackdown
Sunday, January 22, 2012

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) readies its petition seeking the lifting of a court injunction on its crackdown on oversized billboards.

Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Divina Gracia Lopez earlier issued a writ of preliminary injunction against the agency's anti-billboard drive.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino called the latest development a temporary debacle as the agency's legal team is preparing its defense on what he called a "patently illegal" court order.

He said the court should have been more sparing in blocking campaigns that promote public safety.

Lawyer Alu Dorotan, MMDA deputy spokesperson, meanwhile, said MMDA will exhaust all legal means to reverse the court ruling.

"We will question the legality of the writ of preliminary injunction issued against the agency and file a motion of reconsideration under the period prescribed by law," Dorotan said during the MMDA's weekly radio program Sunday.

She said the court's order left them baffled, especially when it covered all the billboards, all 119 of them, owned by complainant Ever Corporation when its petition covered only two such structures located at 995 UC Dapitan Hardware/ Lumber, Edsa, Quezon City.

The MMDA maintained that the dismantling of two billboards owned by the complainant, which have triggered the case, was done upon the request of the Quezon City Government.

"The billboards were without any building permit from the local government," said Dorotan.

The agency cited that Section 301 of the National Building Code states that any entity erecting or constructing any building or structure should first obtain a building permit from the Building Official assigned in the place where the building is located.

Early this year, Tolentino expressed confidence there will be fewer lawsuits, much more injunctions to halt its projects after a Makati court junked a petition by the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP) seeking to stop the impending implementation of new billboard guidelines approved by the Metro Manila Council (MMC), the policy-making body of the MMDA, whose members are the 17 Metro mayors.

Last year, the agency sustained several legal debacles including a court injunction on its anti-smoking crackdown.

Meanwhile, the OAAP has asked the MMDA to reconsider the implementation of new billboard guidelines, especially on the proposed uniform size for such structures located along major thoroughfares in the metropolis.

OAAP chairman Jose Vale said the size requirement of 20X40 feet (80-100 square meters) under the guidelines that the MMDA want to enforce is too small for advertising purposes.

"We firmly believe that the billboard size (area) of 80-100 square meters is too small for the advertisers to consider. It is possible that they will shift to other forms of media and because of this most outdoor companies will close shop,” Vale said.

He said the ideal size should be 40X60 feet or 225 square meters.

"To be an effective medium of communication and information dissemination, OAAP agrees to a maximum size of 225 square meters. Anything below may render the medium ineffective as a means of communication," Vale added.

On other hand, anything above 225 square meters maybe too large, per industry standards, both from a safety and aesthetic point of view, he said.

But despite their opposition to the new guidelines, the group said they will continue to work with the MMDA to find a middle ground on the issue that balance that concerns of every party involved.

"We want to extend our hands of cooperation to once and for all address the billboard problems in Metro Manila and break the impasse between OAAP and MMDA," Valle said.

Following a ruling of the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) junking the OAAP's petition against the MMDA on the issue, agency chairman Francis Tolentino said they are ready to renew the crackdown adding that there was no more legal obstacle to its implementation.

Tolentino said the uniform size of billboards and other outdoor advertising signs will regulate the proliferation of illegal and oversized billboards along EDSA and other major roads in Metro Manila.

He added the MMDA will soon be dismantling billboards that violate the provisions of the National Building Code, especially those found to have no building permit from the local government units concerned.

Last year, Tolentino launched "Operation Roll Down, Baby" that targeted oversized billboards and those that had obscene visual contents, touching off a bitter legal battle with OAAP. (AH/Sunnex)
--
From: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2012/01/22/mmda-seek-reversal-order-vs-billboard-crackdown-201940

UN scores vs. MMDA

2012-01-27T15:22:00.000+08:00

Pasay judge stops MMDA from dismantling billboard in QC
By Mike Frialde The Philippine Star Updated January 21, 2012 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said yesterday it was stopped by a Pasay City judge from rolling down a billboard in Quezon City despite a request from the Quezon City government to do so.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said Pasay City Regional Trial Court Judge Divina Gracia Pelino issued a writ of preliminary injunction dated Jan. 12, 2012 directing the agency to refrain from dismantling 119 billboards owned by the United Neon Sign and Services.

In a statement, Tolentino said while the petition for injunction covered only two billboards, the issued writ covered 119 billboards.

Tolentino said the writ was issued pursuant to a petition for injunction filed by Ever Corp., a client of United Neon Sign and Services, against the MMDA after the agency dismantled Ever’s billboard at 995 UC Dapitan Hardware/Lumbe along EDSA in Quezon City.

MMDA Legal and Legislative Affairs Staff Director Rochelle Macapili-Ona clarified that the dismantling was done upon the request of the Quezon City government.

According to the MMDA, Quezon City building officer Isagani Versoza had issued a dismantling order to United Neon as early as Aug. 14, 2011. The order was formally endorsed to the MMDA last Oct. 11.

“The subject billboard owned by Ever Corp. does not have a building permit,” Ona said in a statement. “This is an outright violation of the National Building Code, which requires that all structures, whether these buildings or outdoor advertising signs, should obtain a building permit. Where the law does not distinguish, we should not distinguish.”

Ona said under Section 301 of the National Building Code, any entity erecting or constructing any building or structure should first obtain a building permit from the building official assigned in the place where the building is located.

“The writ of injunction now dispenses with this very important requirement,” Ona said.

Meanwhile, Tolentino said the MMDA is considering filing administrative charges against Pelino for issuing an order he described as patently illegal.
===

From: http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=65&articleid=769644

Food for Thought for Philippine OOH Players

2012-01-19T11:06:00.000+08:00

Big OOH Players Reject DOmedia
By Katy Bachman, www.adweek.com

The nation's (U.S.A) biggest out-of-home media companies are refusing to list and sell their inventory in Starcom's new out-of-home database planning and buying system created by DOmedia.

It's not only the big traditional outdoor companies that are pushing back, but also some of the largest place-based OOH players. The rub is DOmedia's 2-5 percent transaction fees tacked on to sales made through the system, a fee the media companies find unpalatable.

DOmedia, which has built a database of OOH companies, is one of several "aggregators" seeking to bring some order to the hundreds of small, placed-based digital out-of-home companies. Though there's been some consolidation, the place-based business is still a nightmare for advertisers and agencies to buy.

The biggest OOH shops, Kinetic and Posterscope, developed their own proprietary systems to handle the planning and buying of the media. In the past couple of weeks, Starcom and MediaVest's planning and strategy teams have begun using DOmedia's platform.

"It's the bazillion alternative out-of-home and digital media companies we want to get a handle on," said Jack Sullivan, svp, OOH media for Starcom. "Trying to do it with just spreadsheets has become too difficult."

While the digital companies agree that such systems can help advance their medium, they don't agree with DOmedia's model.

"We agree with the concept. The question is who bears the cost," said Mike DiFranza, president and general manager of Captivate. "It's tough for people to rationalize paying for a database sorting tool. We have to work together to figure out the right mode."

Even tougher will be convincing the traditional media companies, which have national reach, to put premium inventory in the system.

"To take our inventory and combine it with rogue operators discredits what we do," said one out-of-home media exec, who declined attribution.

"Our policy is we don't pay commissions," said Tommy Teepell, chief marketing officer for Lamar Advertising. "I'm not sure it adds value to what we're doing."

Rich Langdale, CEO of DOmedia, said it's all about convincing out-of-home companies that DOmedia will bring more dollars to the medium. "We won't charge more than the value we bring. We want to help the sellers sell more media," he said.

Sullivan is hopeful the rest of the business will come around. "It's always tough at the beginning," said Sullivan. "After only a couple of weeks, a lot of companies have registered, a good 80 percent of them. Negotiations and discussions are ongoing with others."

DOmedia is about to get some competition. In January, Ayuda Media Systems, a software provider, will launch Symphony, a free buying platform for both traditional and digital out-of-home. As part of the service, Ayuda has offered to customize its system for agencies. Ayuda's current client roster includes some of the biggest out of home media companies such as CBS Outdoor, Van Wagner Communications and Eye Corp.

"Ayuda's model is a win-win for everybody," DiFranza said.

===

Katy Bachman is a staff writer for Adweek.

In Memoriam - F. Danny A. Adapon

2012-01-04T15:00:00.000+08:00

In Memoriam

F. Danny A. Adapon

Vice President of Sign Media, Inc.

(A Luneta Advertising company)

We are saddened by the untimely passing of a friend in the Outdoor Advertising Industry, Danny Adapon, on January 2, 2012.

Wake is at the Kamagong Room, La Funeraria Paz - Sucat, Manila Memorial Park, Sucat Road, Paranaque City. Cremation will be held in the morning of Saturday, January 7, 2012 also at the Manila Memorial Park.