Sharing my experiences from my time in the Philippines. This article is going to be about billboards. The reason I bring them up is because you can't help but notice the amount of billboards when traveling around Manila in the Philippines. They are huge, ugly, and everywhere!
Billboards are everywhere and while I am sure that they draw attention they sure do take away a lot of the beauty of Manila as a city. It makes you wonder why there are so many. Quite some time ago it was decided in most places in the USA to get rid of billboards. In fact in some towns and cities signs have to meet criteria for size and design to make everything more pleasing to the eye.
Sure billboards will catch your attention and I am sure these businesses that are advertising make sales from these signs. The question will eventually have to be asked though of whether or not it is worth destroying the cities beauty over making some extra sales for business or even income for the property owners that allow these giant billboards to be put up on their property. I am sure we can come up with some better alternatives for our advertising needs. I am sure this will eventually be addressed in places like the Philippines just as it has been here in the USA. I know that already safety concerns have been risen about the size of some of the billboards in Manila.
In 2006 a typhoon came through the city and caused some billboards to crash down on roads and buildings killing several people due to strong winds. I was living there at the time and remember the news articles that circulated afterward. I guess when it comes down to it a balance has to be found that will meet the needs of businesses to get information about their products out and our growing desire as people to keep Earth beautiful in anyway we can. Hopefully solutions will be implemented soon by the very people that are putting up these eye sores in the first place.
