Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 165)
Executive Order No. 165 covers all non-mobile advertising signs and billboards, including their support structures, whether erected, installed, modified, retrofitted, rehabilitated, or otherwise altered.
Section 11(2), Article XVI of the Philippine Constitution provides that advertising is impressed with public interest and shall be regulated by law for the protection of consumers and promotion of general welfare.
Signs and sign structures and billboards shall not exceed 250 square meters. LED and electronic signs must have a minimum display area of 55 square meters and a maximum of 250 square meters, subject to structural and wind load standards.
Newly constructed billboard structures must have at least five (5) meters setback from the frontage property line, measured perpendicularly to the support structure.
Free-standing billboards may be up to 36 meters high from the established grade. Roof-mounted billboards may have a combined height of up to 26 meters in urban areas and 36 meters in rural areas from the ground to the established grade.
New billboard structures on the same side of the road must be at least 100 meters apart.
The Office of the City or Municipal Building Official is responsible for strict implementation of this Order, the Building Code, and related regulations at the local level.
The processing time for local permits or licenses shall not exceed seven (7) working days from the date a complete application is received.
LGUs are enjoined to enact ordinances to supplement national billboard regulations by addressing non-obstruction of natural landscapes, restricted traffic hazard areas, and creation of billboard-free zones in important locations such as historical sites and critical facilities.
Key agencies include the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for enforcement, Department of Finance (DOF) for guidelines on fees, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for assisting LGUs. Other national agencies may also be called upon to support its implementation.
Pursuant to Section 306 of the Building Code, the Building Official may suspend, revoke, or withhold building permits. Officials who fail to comply may be subjected to civil service disciplinary actions and other applicable penalties under the Local Government Code and relevant laws.
Rooftop billboards shall not occupy more than one-fourth of the building's street frontage, have a base area of support frame not exceeding ten (10) square meters, and must be constructed of incombustible materials according to the Building Code's IRR Section 1210.
The DPWH is mandated to streamline permitting and licensing applications for advertising signs and billboards through an online platform to simplify and expedite the process, while retaining a manual system under justifiable circumstances.
The Order mandates that local governments shall not impose requirements more burdensome than those provided nationally and encourages coordination through the DILG to align local ordinances with national standards.
The Executive Order took effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.