With high season just around the corner, I have to confess I am dreading the return of the the 'telecom wars'. Every year 2 or 3 of these phone companies compete with each other to festoon our little island with as many ugly banners as they can, and even the paraws don't escape this relentless ad campaign. Last year, the sailboat association of Malay accepted a large sum of money from one of the said companies in exchange for a promise that every boatman would display the corporate logos on their sails. This was not to be done on a voluntary basis, mind you. All boat owners were told that they must comply or risk losing their working permits. Most boat men were happy to accept the free sails and the cash payment offered to them, but those who did not want to deface their paraws with this kind of ugly advertising were bullied and threatened with expulsion from the association. Joey and I stood our ground and refused to display the sails, and thankfully the association backed off after I threatened to submit an article to the local press about their appalling behaviour!

Considering that all the tourists and expats I have interviewed strongly dislike this kind of all-pervasive advertising, some thought should be given as to why it is allowed to continue. It ruins the view of our beautiful beach, and makes the island look cheap and tacky. Who benefits? No-one but the telecom companies (and whoever they are bribing on the island in order to be allowed to deface it in this way). Who suffers? Everyone who has to look at these ugly banners day after day. Last year the CocaCola logo even made an appearance on the sails. What's next? McDonalds? Is that really the image that the island wants to project?

Let's keep Boracay beautiful - ban the banners!