ONE of the ubiquitous signs of living in an urban area is the advertising billboard. Although we also find these dotting stretches of rice paddies along the expressways, more can be found cheek by jowl the closer you get to towns and cities. These advertising tools can be made from the lowliest bamboo and paper contraptions to the sleekest steel bar and computer-printed tarpaulins. They can be sophisticatedly lit, dynamic video screens, gaudy marquee types, or intriguingly wrapped along the height of a building wall.

Throughout the years, these gimmicks have been sprouting all over the metropolis, a sure sign that there is some money out there to attract and that there is more money to gain from spending huge money on the gimmick itself. Certainly it must mean that the more billboards, the better the community thrives, right?

On the other hand, just a few seasons ago, we experienced the deadly consequences of gigantic billboards. At times, these behemoths are erected right on top of congested residential areas. In our profit-driven environment, some have only grown bigger and the structures more flimsy over the years.

Dangerous giants

These billboards have become dangerous giants overshadowing us but nobody seems to mind, certainly not the authorities and lawmakers, who once promised to see to their constituents? safety and well-being. When a lot of the giant signs toppled down after a storm and claimed the lives of dozens, there were talks about finally removing them. But that was just all talk.

Now, the typhoon season is again upon us. Due to global climate changes, the storms are expected to be more intense than before. But have we made ready to face them? Sadly, we have seen the rise of even more billboards last year, multiplying faster than the latest virus. Chances are it could be more deadly.

What is the purpose of this gargantuan signage? Companies spend millions of bucks to convince the public they want to have stuff that they don?t really need. They try to market everything from liposuction to skin whitener. We are a sad bunch if we believe that these are more important than public safety. Come to think of it, if the public really needed the product, then there would be no need to advertise it that much.

Besides the physical danger, the billboards pose a distraction and danger to motorists. They could slow down traffic, which in turn wastes a lot of fuel, aggravating an already very bad situation. The cost to illuminate the signage wastes a lot of electrical energy.

Most focused audience

The often risqué poses of the models likewise send out very bad ideas to children who, by the way, are the most focused audience on the streets. Why can?t the government do anything about it? Why can?t we do anything about it? It seems that we have allowed big business to control our appetites, our pocketbooks and our children?s minds.

They have appeased their consciences by enacting a few measly measures of concern, such as rolling down the tarpaulin when the weather man says there is a storm coming. But if the weather man fails to report properly, then they have a scapegoat.

At this stage of our urban growth, we must have the nerve to prioritize our needs. True, business and economy are important to our community, but more so are public safety, order and morals. It is way past due that we decide the limits of advertising billboards. Only then can we claim billboards as a real benefit to our society.

(For your comments and questions please e-mail marcosdeguzman@yahoo.com.)