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