The Quezon City Government is strengthening public safety during storms and other severe weather events by requiring all billboard and signage owners, operators, and advertisers to secure, roll down, remove, or dismantle tarpaulins and other signage materials whenever hazardous weather threatens the city.

Through the Quezon City Billboard Weather Safety Ordinance (Ordinance No. SP-3515, S-2026), the city government seeks to prevent accidents caused by billboards and large-format tarpaulins that may collapse, detach, or be blown away during strong winds and heavy rains, putting lives, private property, and critical infrastructure at risk.

The ordinance applies to all billboard and signage owners, operators, lessors, lessees, advertisers, and other persons or entities responsible for billboards and signage installations, including those on government-owned properties within Quezon City.

Once the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) or the Quezon City Government issues a public weather advisory for tropical depressions, storms, typhoons, heavy rainfall, strong winds, or other hazardous weather conditions, all covered billboards and signage must immediately be secured, rolled down, removed, dismantled, or otherwise rendered safe against displacement, detachment, or collapse.

Billboard owners and operators are likewise urged to closely monitor official weather advisories issued by PAGASA, the Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (QC DRRMO), and the Public Affairs and Information Services Department (PAISD) to ensure timely compliance.

Violators of the ordinance face escalating penalties. A first offense carries a written warning and a fine of ₱3,000 per day. A second offense is punishable by a ₱4,000 daily fine and the suspension of the billboard or signage permit for 15 days. A third and subsequent offense carries a ₱5,000 daily fine and the revocation of the billboard or signage permit. The ordinance likewise provides for imprisonment, at the discretion of the court, depending on the gravity of the offense.

To further protect the public, the city government is also authorized to remove or dismantle billboards and signage that pose an imminent danger during emergencies or calamities. All costs incurred shall be charged to the owner, operator, or lessor, without prejudice to the filing of appropriate charges and the imposition of applicable penalties.

Introduced by Councilor Charm Ferrer, Chairperson of the Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Business Entrepreneurship Development and Cooperatives, the ordinance forms part of Quezon City’s continuing efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and reduce preventable risks in public spaces, ensuring that businesses and property owners also play an active role in protecting the safety of every QCitizen.

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