Billboards in Bandung

Billboards in Bandung

The number of billboards in Bandung is growing at an alarming
rate. When will it stop? It is unlikely because billboards are
one of the resources for regional development funding. Should we
spoil the city by selling the scenery to the big companies which
contribute to the regional revenues?

Ironically, some billboards bear a small plate with the
writing BERHIBER, an acronym for Clean, Green, Full of Flowers.
Were it BERHIBERBI, then the additional BI could stand for
billboards!

As a marketing device, billboard advertisements are crude and
expensive. Magazine advertising is certainly more effective and
less costly. Moreover, billboards need thousands of watts of
power every night.

There is a group in Bandung called the Bandung Culture
Conservation Community which is concerned about the conservation
of buildings, trees and parks in the city. But it would be
utterly useless if the buildings, trees and sites conserved were
hidden from our sight by giant billboards. There is even a huge
billboard superimposed on a small building. Funny, isn't it?

We cannot possibly reject the presence of billboards, but why
do not we have additional regulations on location, measurements
and language? (One of our historic sites in the city has a
billboard with An American Original. Is this the correct
expression for a Sundanese city?).

I hope a representative from the government will take
responsibility in this matter and the BERHIBER foundation will
rethink its strategy in "selling Bandung's scenery" to big
companies, at times to foreign companies at that.

I also hope that the Tourism Office will consider that
tourists go to Bandung not to look at Western style billboards.

I would like to invite all people to suspend their purchasing
of products advertised on giant billboards.

When will the people be angered, and will they react against
this new form of colonialism?

FRANCES WARD B. AFFANDY

Bandung