Mayor Baste orders takedown of ‘epal’ billboards, other signages
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 June)— Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has launched a city-wide crackdown on billboards and signages bearing the names and faces of public officials.
The move came after his issuance of Executive Order No. 09, Series of 2025 on June 19, which directs the inspection and removal of materials that violate Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular No. 2010-101, which prohibits the use of officials’ names, initials, and images in government projects, programs, and properties.
The mayor directed three local government offices—the City Engineer’s Office, City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), and Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO)—to implement EO 09.
Issued more than a decade ago, DILG Circular 2010-101 limits the content of public signages to essential project information, such as the project name, contractor, and implementation dates, and explicitly bans promotional visuals of elected officials. Legal Opinion No. 71, Series of 2011 from the same agency, affirmed the obligation of local chief executives to enforce the policy.
Duterte’s order instructs concerned offices to begin a “city-wide inspection” of all existing government-related billboards and signages and mandates the removal of those in violation of the circular and other applicable laws.
Netizens praise ‘anti-epal’ move
The move was widely lauded online, with many netizens describing it as “long overdue” and “a strong step in the right direction.”
“Finally! Dili na makita ang mga dagkong nawong sa mga politiko sa tarp bisan gamay ra’g tabang,” wrote one Facebook user.
Others also called on the city government to extend the policy beyond just signages on public infrastructure.
“Dili lang unta billboards. Kanang naay mga nawong ug pangalan sa mga baga ug nawong na mga politiko na manghatag ug mga hinabang, tanggalon pud. Dili man ila kwarta na, gipanghatag ra man na nga donasyon,” one netizen commented. (It shouldn’t just be billboards. Those politicians who print their faces on relief goods and donations should also be stopped—it’s not even their money; those are donations.)
‘Epal culture’ under scrutiny
The DILG Memorandum Circular 2010-101 was first issued under then-Secretary Jesse Robredo in response to growing public frustration over the so-called “epal” culture—a term colloquially used to refer to politicians who take undue credit for public services by placing their names and faces prominently on government-funded infrastructure.
Legal Opinion No. 71, Series of 2011, further empowered local chief executives to enforce the directive, allowing them to remove such promotional materials subject to relevant laws and ordinances.
In Davao City, the practice has persisted in some areas despite efforts to minimize it in recent years. However, Duterte’s new Executive Order makes the implementation of the ban more aggressive and coordinated across city departments
As the directive gains traction, some netizens have also called for other cities to follow suit, saying the measure prevents misuse of public funds for political mileage. (Allizah Keziah Manulat / MindaNews intern)
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