VIDEO: Boatloads of tourists dock in the Philippines' famous holiday island of Boracay as the government declares it open after a six-month closure and clean-up

VIDEO: Boatloads of tourists dock in the Philippines' famous holiday island of Boracay as the government declares it open after a six-month closure and clean-up pic.twitter.com/zoXQ3KTVuC

— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 26, 2018

Toilets to be upgraded at tourist sites in China

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-03-01

A renovated bathroom at Guilin Central Square, Guangxi,
Feb. 26. (File photo/Xinhua)

China will build 13,000 new toilets and renovate another 9,000 in 2015 at tourist sites to upgrade the notorious facilities, tourism authorities announced on Thursday.

The campaign is part of China's three-year "toilet revolution" aimed at building a total of 33,000 restrooms and renovating 24,000 by 2017, said Li Jinzao, head of the China National Tourism Administration.

Li released the target at a national kick-off meeting, adding that insufficient and unhygienic toilets have damaged China's national image and left tourists unhappy.

The official urged local tourism authorities to consider the special needs of the elderly, women, children and disabled when building and renovating toilets.

Over 3.7 billion trips were made to China's tourist sites last year, and some 128 million were from overseas visitors.

A cleaner at work at a toilet in Xujiahui Park in Shanghai, Oct. 21, 2014.
(File photo/Xinhua)

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SBY Honored, Along With Companies, for Green Growth

Jakarta Globe, Feb 26, 2015

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono when he was still president of Indonesia. (EPA
Photo/Bagus Indahono).

Jakarta. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was among a diverse group of winners of awards for sustainable business practices whose names were announced on Wednesday evening, with the former Indonesian president receiving praise for “his achievements in developing green growth in Indonesia and his commitments to action on climate change globally.”

A Special Award for Leadership in Green Growth and Development was presented to Yudhoyono at the Shangri La Hotel Jakarta, during a ceremony attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Sofyan Djalil and other ministers, as well as CEOs, heads of international agencies and media.

“Development and growth is something that needs to be planned carefully. It needs to ensure social inclusiveness. It needs to protect the environment, it needs to correspond to climate challenge, it needs to go on for the long term,” Yudhoyono said at the award ceremony.

The 2014 Sustainable Business Awards Indonesia were organized by Global Initiatives in cooperation with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The organizers said in a press release that cement company Holcim Indonesia emerged the overall winner, but companies such as Bank BNI, Astra International, Bukit Asam, Nestle Indonesia, Bumi Serpong Damai and Unilever also won in various categories.

Tony Gourlay, CEO of Global Initiatives, said in the press release: “For the third year in a row, we are pleased to showcase companies in Indonesia who have embedded sustainability in their corporate mission and whose leadership shares this vision. We encourage other companies to follow their lead and communicate their sustainability efforts more widely.”

The complete list of SBA winners

MAIN AWARDS

Overall Winner: Holcim Indonesia

1. Strategy and vision: Unilever Indonesia

2. Workforce: Holcim Indonesia

3. Community: Astra International

4. Energy management: Holcim Indonesia

5. Water management: Bukit Asam

6. Waste & material productivity: Danone Aqua Group

7. Climate Change: Holcim Indonesia

8. Supply Chain: Nestle Indonesia

9. Land Use, Biodiversity and the Environment: Monsanto Indonesia (Branita Sandini)

10. Business Responsibility and Ethics: Unilever Indonesia

* Environmental Disclosure: Dupont Agriculture Products Indonesia

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS

1. Pioneer in Green Finance in Indonesia: Bank Negara Indonesia

2. Outstanding leadership in sustainable agriculture: Great Giant Pineapple

3. SME placing sustainability at the core of its business: Pulau Nikoi

4. Outstanding Energy Management in the mining sector: Vale Indonesia

5. Outstanding Water Management in the property sector: Bumi Serpong Damai

Special Award for Green Growth & Leadership: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Jakarta Is Stepping Up Efforts to Go Green

Parks and Recreation: Indonesia’s capital hopes to undergo an environmental makeover for the younger generation

Jakarta Globe, Lenny Tristia Tambun, Dec 13, 2014

The Jakarta administration aims to turn 30 percent of the capital into green
space. (Antara Photo/M. Agung Rajasa)

Jakarta. Jakarta is planning to build six parks that will cater specifically to children by March next year.

Veronica Tan, the wife of Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama and chairwoman of the city’s Family Welfare Association (PKK), announced the city had prepared land spanning 1,500 to 4,000 square meters for each park.

“Our target is to have these parks ready in three months,” Veronica said, adding that the administration would build one children’s park for each of Jakarta’s five municipalities and one district.

“The six parks will be a pilot project. In the future we will built at least two children’s parks for each urban ward.”

The parks, she said, would have to be in residential areas and inaccessible by motor vehicles.

“We aim to build a public space where children can do a variety of activities; so they have a healthy alternative to staying indoors, playing computer or watching television,” she said.

Veronica added that the PKK was lobbying the city for authority to manage the parks as the association has already drawn up plans to establish cooperatives or children’s health stations in each park.

“Another crucial aspect to this project is maintaining the parks, so they won’t be vandalized or abandoned,” she said.

Speaking at a Bank DBS Indonesia event where more than a thousand volunteers helped revamp the Kahfi Park in Ciganjur, South Jakarta, Veronica called on private donors to be more proactive in creating public spaces in the city.

“The government alone can’t make [the plan] happen,” Veronica said.

Speaking at the same event, Jakarta Parks and Cemeteries Agency chief Nandar Sunandar said the government planned to add another 50 hectares of parks by 2017 by converting 30 percent of the capital into green, open spaces, or RTH.

“RTH in Jakarta is still very scarce. Growth [of green spaces] in the last 10 years has been slow, from 9.85 percent to a little over 10 percent,” he said.

Basuki’s administration has been active in improving the city’s poor air quality and lack of public spaces, enacting in 2012 a city regulation that mandates 30 percent of Jakarta area to be green open spaces.

Nandar said the city also intended to turning South Jakarta into the “lungs” of the city by concentrating much of its efforts to building more parks in the municipality. South Jakarta consists mostly of residential areas but is rapidly growing into a commercial and business center.

It is unclear whether this drive would translate into stricter zoning regulations.

10 Indonesian hotels win ASEAN Green Award

Antara News, Wed, January 11 2012

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Manado, N Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Ten hotels operating in Indonesia have won ASEAN Green Hotel Recognition Award 2012 for applying environmentally friendly principles to their operations.

ASEAN Green Award

Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Pangestu presented the award to representatives of the hotels here on Wednesday.

The 10 hotels are Matahari Beach Resort & Spa (Bali), Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel (Bali), Holiday Inn Resort (Batam), Angsana (Bintan), Melia Benoa (Bali), Losari Spa Retreat & Coffee Plantation (Magelang), The St Regis Bali Resort(Bali), Melia Bali Villa & Spa Resort, The Dharmawangsa Jakarta, Hotel Gran Melia Jakarta.

Mari said the Green Award 2012 was the third of its kind since 2008. The first such award was given to ASEAN hotels in Thailand in 2008 and the second in Brunei Darussalam in 2010.

Environmentally friendly principle is the main aspect to see if a hotel deserves to receive the award according to the document of ASEAN Green Hotel Standard agreed upon by 10 ASEAN member countries.

The document covers a number of criteria and prerequisites as environmental policies which lay a basis for the environmentally friendly operation of hotels, including the use of green products, cooperation with local people and organizations, and human resources development.

Besides solid waste management, energy efficiency, water efficiency, air quality management (indoor and outdoor), noise pollution control, waste water treatment and management, toxic and chemical substance disposal management.

Tight competition in the hotel industry has encouraged the adoption of the Green Hotel Standard. The award is designed to promote hotel operators' environmental awareness amid the looming threat of global warming, increase the competitive edge of the hotel industry in attracting more guests and improving the quality of ASEAN hotels' services to support ASEAN as a single tourism destination.

The award was also given to a number of other ASEAN member countries which respectively nominated 10 hotels for the award. 

Editor: Ade Marboen

Green Surabaya Has Cleaned Up Its Act

Jakarta Globe, Wahyuni Kamah, September 06, 2011

Street sweepers have helped transform the once-dirty Surabaya into
 a largely trash-free haven with clean sidewalks and conscientious citizens.
(JG Photo)  

       

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It’s not hard to see why Surabaya, the formerly filthy capital of East Java, was chosen as a winner of the 6th Adipura awards for cleanliness this year.

When I visited the city recently, I found it to be much greener and cleaner than it was on my last visit, 12 years ago. I remember Surabaya being like other big cities in Java — crowded, polluted and littered with trash.

But on my recent visit, from the alleys of small neighborhoods in the city center to the grand buildings of the Old Town in the north, the streets of Surabaya were tidy, litter-free and open to pedestrians.

For a bustling metropolis of around 3.2 million people of various ethnic backgrounds packed into 375 square kilometers, such a turnaround in the city’s cleanliness has been no small feat.

Surabaya’s current mayor, Tri Rismaharini, deserves some of the credit. Voted into office last year, Ibu Risma, as she is affectionately known, previously served as head of the Surabaya Parks Agency from 2005 to 2008. During her term there, she established 13 public parks on lots formerly occupied by gas stations. She also improved the city’s existing parks for public use.

As mayor, Ibu Risma has worked to spread awareness among the general population about the importance of keeping the city clean.

Along a main street in Wonokromo, a crowded area in the city center, I spotted banners by the roadside that read “Refrain From Littering” and “Collecting Trash Is Like Giving Alms, God Willing.”

I heard similar messages broadcast on the city’s radio stations and promoted through its different neighborhood watch organizations.

From the look of the city’s main streets, these messages are being heard. Despite the presence of many small kiosks along the roads, the sidewalks are clean and free of trash.

It seems that there is a growing awareness among the citizens of Surabaya of the importance of a clean environment, and the community effort required to keep the city free of garbage.

As I drove into the city by taxi from Juanda International Airport, I noticed that the green belt dividing the two-way highway had been planted with various shrubs and flowers, arranged in way that turned the strip into an aesthetically pleasing green area.

In the early morning sunshine, I spotted a group of uniformed workers sweeping the city streets. My taxi driver told me the sweepers worked in shifts around the clock to clear the streets of any organic and inorganic waste. But even without their efforts, he said, many people in Surabaya no longer tossed their garbage on the sidewalk or the street.

“There is a greater awareness now about waste disposal and people want to keep the city clean,” he said.

The number of green spaces in the city has also increased. Ibu Risma, who studied architecture at the Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS), has applied green planning principles to the reforms she has brought to the city.

The mayor has ordered pedestrian bridges to be built across the city’s main streets and sidewalks to be widened, making it possible for people to walk instead of drive. To ensure the safety of pedestrians, CCTV cameras have been installed along the bridges. Potted plants have been hung beneath bridges and in alleyways to help beautify the city and provide a cooler climate.

The city’s main public parks, such as Taman Bungkul, Taman Bagong and Taman Kalimantan, have also been transformed into open and welcoming spaces for citizens. People from all walks of life now gather at the parks to relax with family and friends. Taman Kalimantan is equipped with rows of stones that people can walk on as a form of reflexology, the foot massage therapy. Taman Bungkul is a popular meeting place after dark, especially on weekends.

Trees, shrubs and flowers have been planted in marvelous arrangements in the parks, which now serve as an oasis from the city streets.

There are playgrounds for children, kiosks offering various kinds of food, public toilets and even free hot spots for Internet users. Police officers and public order officials can often be seen patrolling the parks, adding to the feeling of safety for visitors.

Surabaya’s green turnaround shows that cleaning up a major city is not impossible. It is thanks to the efforts of Ibu Risma’s administration and the commitment of the people of Surabaya that the 718-year-old city is a delight to visit today.

Other cities across Java should follow in the footsteps of Surabaya and other cities around the world. They should provide green spaces and encourage citizens to think twice about polluting the streets they use every day.

Bali to firmly uphold law on environment

Antara News, Saturday, July 24, 2010 03:49 WIB

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - The tourist resort province of Bali will in the coming years firmly uphold the law on the environment, Head of Bali`s Environment Agency (BLH) AA Alit Sastrawan said.

"In our efforts to realize the program to make Bali a Green Province which as launched by the local government, the law on the environment should be firmly upheld," Alit said here on Friday.

He said his office was now preparing legal frameworks, including draft bylaws so that later enforcement of the law would in real terms protect all stakeholders in the environment.

Alit explained that after all the legal frameworks had been made they had to be popularized to the people so that the "Bali Green Province` program would run in line with the interests of the people.

"We will popularize it first before we take firm actions to enforce the law," Alit said.

Earlier, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono fully supported Bali`s initiative to become the first "green" province in Indonesia.

"We have also received expressions of support from various parties, including the director of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) in Bangkok who will be visiting Bali in the near future," Made Mangku Pastika said on Tuesday.

The governor who attended a workshop on Bali Green Province which involved various elements of Bali`s community, said turning Bali into a green, healthy, beautiful and clean province would not be easy.

However, he was confident that with the high commitment of and consistent hard work by regional government officials at all levels, and the cooperation of local religious and community leaders, the dream to turn Bali into a green province would be achieved.

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Rock for Bali's Shore

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, April 30, 2010

A beach clean-up with Make a Change Bali draws a fair-sized crowd. Saturday’s concert will promote clean beaches and green living. (Photo courtesy of Gary Bencheghib)

Over his two-week Easter break from school, 15-year-old Gary Bencheghib was hard at work. Set on a mission to save Bali’s beaches, he believes the only way to do this is to get more people involved, locals and tourists alike.

“Balinese young people seem to be very influenced by famous Indonesian rock bands,” Bencheghib said. “So I decided to organize a ‘green’ concert. I hope to touch a large number of people and make them individually more concerned about maintaining Bali’s pristine beaches.”

With his 12-year-old brother, Sam, he developed a concert plan, sending proposals to sponsors and NGOs, and designing posters, banners and televised animations to advertise the event.

Thanks to their efforts, this Saturday afternoon six Indonesian rock bands — Superman Is Dead, Navicula, De Buntu, Dialog Dini Hari, Natoena and 55 Frets — will perform live at Bali’s Kuta Beach. About 1,000 people are expected to turn up for what Bencheghib calls the Bali Environment Day Concert.

“With big bands like Superman Is Dead performing, more than a thousand people will come,” he said.

For a first-time concert promoter, Bencheghib has landed some big sponsors, such as Rip Curl and Quiksilver, and some high-profile promotional spots on Bali TV and Hard Rock Radio Bali.

In between the music performances, a number of Bali-based environmental organizations will present short lectures and video presentations on their missions to preserve the island’s pristine environment.

“In the long run, we want to organize this concert as an annual event by making the first of May a day for Bali’s environment,” Bencheghib said.

Organizing the concert meant a huge amount of work and responsibility for the teenager.

Bencheghib enlisted the help of Faiz Lovell, his father’s secretary, to act as translator when he met with local village communities and police to ask for their permission and support for the big event.

“I certainly grew up faster over this past month,” he said.

Since his family relocated from the metropolitan city of Paris to Bali five years ago, Bencheghib has become infatuated with the island’s pristine beaches.

“Coming from an urban place like Paris, where stress floats within the streets and the buildings, my first impression of Bali was that it resembled a paradise,” he said. “It’s a little island that possesses natural and cultural riches. Living here is an existence less superficial and more authentic. It’s like an endless vacation.”

Inspired by his new, pristine surroundings, the eldest son of Catherine and Malik Bencheghib has become more in tune with his musical talents. He is learning to play piano, guitar, bass and drums, and composes his own songs. Last year, he received the internationally recognized grade-five Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music certificate for piano.

Bencheghib, who loves the humanities, also excels at school. Last semester, he passed his exams with high honors. In

March this year, he attended the Global Issues Network Seminar in Hong Kong, hosted by the Chinese International School.

“It was a real opportunity for me to meet young students from different backgrounds, all with the hope to make a change in this world,” he said.

The ocean, however, remains Bencheghibs’s true passion. He loves diving and surfing, as well as running on Bali’s golden beaches in the afternoon.

The copious litter, he says, mars the image of a paradise island.

“Cigarette butts and candy wrappers are scattered everywhere in Kuta,” he said. “In Sanur, the ocean has become a dump of plastic bags and dead seaweed, only meters away from where tourists are sunbathing and local children are swimming. Up north on Amed Beach, syringes lie in between the black oval stones.”

“I couldn’t bear to see these once-pristine beaches turn into trash heaps,” he said.

In October 2009, Bencheghib recruited Sam and five schoolmates to establish Make a Change Bali, an organization aimed at saving Bali’s beaches. They organize weekly beach clean-ups, during which these young students scour the beach to collect inorganic waste.

“Our beach clean-ups often last for an hour,” he said. “On average, we’re able to collect seven bags full of garbage.”

The garbage is then sent to the Eco Bali recycling company.

“It’s a puzzle,” said Paola Cannucciari, founder of Eco Bali, referring to the huge amount of waste collected during the beach clean-ups. “Our lives have become modern and sophisticated, yet in the matter of throwing garbage, we still behave like 2 year olds.”

Since 2005, Cannucciari’s company has been working on sustainable solutions to Bali’s waste disposal problems.

“Almost all waste can be recycled or composted if properly disposed,” she said. “It’s necessary to raise awareness of that. People should start taking responsibility for the waste that they produce.”

Ani Yulinda, program officer of Gelombang Udara Segar (Waves of Fresh Air) Foundation, agreed with her.

“If the people care more about their environment, they’ll certainly look after it,” she said.

The foundation has prepared a 10-minute presentation to be shown during the Bali Environment Day Concert to educate people about waste management.

Through its beach clean-up programs, Make a Change Bali has been gaining popularity. Today, the organization has more than 1,100 members on Facebook. Its first major project will be the Bali Environment Day Concert.

“We’re very excited about this concert,” said Lia Pasaribu, manager of punk band Superman Is Dead. “We admire the efforts of these young people in organizing the concert. It’s about time the young generation takes the initiative to do something for the environment.”

Lia added that environmental issues had long been at the top of the band’s concerns. On several occasions, the band members have joined the beach clean-ups organized by Make a Change Bali.

As a major independent music group in Indonesia, Superman Is Dead has a lot fans who look up to it, Lia said. She said she believed this presented it with an opportunity to make a major difference in society.

“People listen to SID,” Lia said. “Therefore, we try to voice these environmental concerns more loudly and give a good example for people to follow. It may not leave a big impact now. But in time, if we’re all consistent in our efforts, people will become more concerned and protect their environment.”

Before every performance in Bali, SID cruises along the beach on low-rider bicycles to encourage people to reduce their carbon footprint.

“This has now become an icon for our shows,” Lia said. “Our fans look forward to it and local bike communities often join us on our cruises.”

Superman Is Dead has prepared a set list of 15 songs to perform during the Bali Environment Day Concert.

Navicula, a Bali-based grunge band, is also excited about taking part in the concert.

“It’s remarkable how an expatriate 15-year-old student cares enough to organize this big event to save Bali’s beaches,” said Dankie, guitarist of Navicula. “The locals should learn from this effort. In fact, local communities should be front-liners in conserving their own natural surroundings.”

The band will perform eight songs, including “Pantai Mimpi” (“Dream Beach”), which comments on the current deteriorating state of Bali’s beaches.

“My dream is that one day everybody, including the Balinese, tourists and surfers, will be aware and make an effort to protect Bali’s beaches,” Bencheghib said. “But until then, one thing is certain: that I will always be involved in preserving and protecting the environment.”

He said his next projects would include educational videos on natural conservation to encourage people to get more involved and working with local NGOs. He also plans to finish high school in Bali and obtain his International Baccalaureate diploma before pursuing his secondary studies either in the United States or Australia .

Bencheghib has traveled to more than 24 countries for short trips and vacations, but he says that he feels at home in Bali.

“Wherever I’ll be in the world, I’ll always come back here,” he said. “I’ll always try to protect my sweet home, Bali.”

The Thinker: Honoring the Quiet Wisdom of Our Ancestors on Nyepi

Jakarta Globe, Ketut Suasti, March 16, 2010

With the passing of another Nyepi in Bali, we might take a moment to consider the holiday not only in its spiritual and psychological light, but also for its environmental significance.

On the day before Nyepi, or the Day of Silence, Hindus in Bali have a tradition of cleaning up both private and public places. This cleanup is twofold, addressing both the physical and spiritual realms. Physical cleaning naturally involves keeping the environment healthy, while spiritual cleansing addresses the darker elements of the human condition, casting out these elements to preserve the holiness of the Day of Silence.

The burning of o g oh- o g oh , or ogre effigies, after a cheerful parade has multiple messages for our modern lives. It symbolizes burning the bad traits of our human selves, warning us to avoid negative emotions and to control our greed, especially in terms of our income. The Balinese believe modern society has forgotten the wisdom of this old tradition, leaving many among us trapped in mental illnesses that have contributed to the rise in suicides, drug abuse and physical ailments such as hypertension and heart disease. If an unbalanced life leads us away from happiness, Nyepi is a reminder to return the balance.

To exercise control over mind and body, Nyepi imposes four rules: not to make fire (which includes not turning on lights or using electricity), not to eat or drink to excess, not to go anywhere and not to work. Following these rules is expected to spiritually affect the individual, but beneath that there are also some hidden messages for the environment.

First, by not making fire or turning on lights, energy is saved, be it in the form of electricity, LPG, kerosene or wood. If every Balinese family of means usually consumes 0.2 kilograms of LPG per day, some 2,700 kilograms of LPG will be saved on Nyepi. That number does not include the island’s hospitality industry, which consumes much more energy than ordinary families.

The lack of fire also means there is no carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as the result of burning. Air pollution in Bali, especially in Denpasar, is now at tragic levels. WWF Indonesia ranks Denpasar as the seventh most polluted urban area in Indonesia.

Bali is also freed from the noise pollution coming from the array of TVs and stereos at the many bars, cafes and karaoke establishments across the island.

By consuming less food and drink, less garbage is produced, especially the plastic packaging supplied by almost every food and drink seller. Bali produces 750 tons of plastic garbage every day, so the earth can be given a break for one day at least.

By not leaving the house, a fantastic amount of energy can be saved in the form of fuel for cars, motorbikes, airplanes and boats. There are more than 15 million vehicles in Bali — 85 percent of them motorcycles. If a motorcycle uses one liter of gasoline a day and a car uses five, then as much 24 million liters of gasoline can be saved. And this number doesn’t even include fuel used for industry.

Because offices across Bali are closed, most air-conditioners are also turned off, producing less CFCs.

If we picture Bali as a machine, then Nyepi is its annual overhaul, helping it to support the lives of its inhabitants more efficiently. The Balinese believe that if the mutual relationship between humans and the environment is properly maintained, the environment will contribute more to sustain our lives. Moreover, Balinese treat the environment as their mother and put it in the highest position of respect. They have to express their feelings of gratitude by controlling the exploitation or abuse of the environment, especially on Nyepi.

Thus, our ancestors were thinking about how to conserve the environment long before the endless rounds of worldwide conferences on saving the planet. The idea of “going green” in Bali is not merely a slogan but a long-held tradition.

The Balinese concept of Tri Hita Karana — maintaining harmony between God, human beings and the environment — is seen in many aspects of daily life, but it takes on special significance on the Day of Silence. Going green, even for just one day, contributes to a healthier planet. And it shows us that traditional beliefs contain no little wisdom in shaping our behavior to achieve a better quality of life, even if in this modern age they are sometimes forgotten.

Ketut Suasti is a Balinese writer and the manager of a recruitment agency on the island.

Car rally tours architectural landmarks for greener Jakarta

Eny Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 02/08/2010 10:04 AM

Ride on: Members of Mercedes-Benz Club Indonesia convoy in "Mercedes-Benz Rally Batavia: Tribute to Indonesia" on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Jakarta on Sunday. The convoy also planted 3,000 trees along Jl. Sedyatmo and the East and West Flood Canals. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

More than 150 vintage car connoisseurs joined the Rally Batavia II on Sunday to visit some the city’s historical spots and to witness the planting of 3,000 trees as part of efforts to make Jakarta greener.

Participants drove vintage and classic Mercedes-Benz models from 1953 to 2009 during the event, that also marked the 40th anniversary of the German carmaker’s presence in Indonesia.

“The rally was fun. We got to see places that we did not know before,” Yuniadi H. Hartono, one of the participants, said.

He added the event had also given him and other participants a chance to share with underprivileged children at the Darussa’adah Islamic Foundation by donating school equipment.

The rally began at City Hall and ended at Pintu Satu, Senayan.

During the five-hour rally, participants passed through old sites, such as the Schouburg building (now the Jakarta Arts Playhouse), Gedong Joang 45 and the National Gallery in Central Jakarta.

Apart from passing by the architectural landmarks, participants also witnessed the planting of a trembesi (rain tree) by Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo along Jl. Sultan Agung, South Jakarta.

Around 300 rain trees with heights of between 5 to 6 meters were planted. The same number of trees were planted along the Sedyatmo toll road while more than 2,000 trees were planted in the East Flood Canal area.

The president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Indonesia, Rudi Borgenheimer, said the number of trees planted was the symbol of what they had achieved last year.

In 2009, the company sold 2,884 units.

“We want to continue [doing this activity] next year as part of our corporate social responsibility [CSR] program,” Borgenheimer said.

The governor said after the planting that the city parks and cemeteries agency would look after the trees.

“Some auto firms like Honda and Toyota Astra have given their support for the planting activity. I hope there will be more corporations doing the same,” Fauzi said.

South Jakarta Mayor Sahrul Effendi said that a similar planting activity would be conducted by other companies in Tebet this month.

“Apart from companies, we expect residents to plant trees around their neighborhoods,” Sahrul said.

The city administration is encouraging the public and companies to plant trees to add green space and minimize the risks of possible floods.

In 1965, more than 35 percent of Jakarta was made up of green areas, but this has been shrinking ever since. Currently, green areas in Jakarta account for only 9.3 percent of the city’s 661,000 square meters of land, far less than the target of 30 percent set by the 2007 Spatial Planning Law.

Best City is still dirty and noisy

Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post, Ubud | Mon, 02/08/2010 10:51 AM | Bali

The once quiet village of Ubud was just named the Best City in Asia, defeating Singapore, Beijing and Tokyo, but a large number of visitors to the city still find it dirty and noisy.

Jan Hansesen, together with 10 friends from Denmark, was spending a four-day holiday in Ubud, around 40 kilometers north of Denpasar.

Before arriving in Ubud, the group were holidaying in Hong Kong and at the Nusa Dua resort complex in Badung regency, Bali.

“People from all over the world say Ubud is a nice place, so we wanted to visit and enjoy it,” Hansesen said, adding that the group loved staying in Ubud where people were kind and friendly. They also felt secure walking along Ubud’s narrow streets.

However, issues of sanitation and the environment made him deeply concerned.

“Garbage is scattered all over the place. Plastic and wastepaper is everywhere. If you want to have tourists, you must clean the place,”

he said. Hansesen was not alone. Many tourists shared similar feelings. Two Spanish friends, Gabriel Pla and Eduard Bascunan, had come all the way from Spain just to visit the famous Ubud village.

“We wanted to see the most important place in Bali. So I chose the royal temple and Ubud market,” said Gabriel who stayed at a hotel in Nusa Dua. After only a few hours in Ubud, they found the village too crowded and dirty. “I just arrived here and already feel like it’s very crowded,” the Spanish man said. However, the beauty and unique architecture of Ubud’s palaces and temples to some extent healed their bad feelings about the place.

“It’s a nice place. But I think you have to solve the traffic problem. If you were named the best city, you must make improvements here and there,” he said.

US-based travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller once named Ubud the best city in Asia based on readers’ choices. Ubud obtained the highest score (Ubud gained 82.5 compared to Singapore with 79.6 and Shanghai with 75.9).

The nominations were based on a number of indicators including the city’s ambience, art and culture, lodgings, restaurants, local residents’ friendliness and shopping facilities.

Ubud is not a city by any Western terms. It is a small village growing into metropolitan tourist destinations with a sprawling number of restaurants, villas and hotels. The rapid growth of tourist facilities in Ubud was not in line with the progress in infrastructure development.

The roads are winding and narrow fit only for one-way traffic. Parking lots are not available, forcing cars and other vehicles to park along the narrow streets. Roads are filled with holes. Some government-sponsored projects have frequently disrupted the busy traffic. Most of the sidewalks are not designed or constructed properly and this makes it difficult for people to use them. But in particular, Ubud is dirty and noisy.

Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana, the patron of Ubud Royalty who is also the regent of Gianyar, responded positively. “We must immediately improve all public facilities in Ubud,” the regent said.

“Our first priority is to regulate traffic flows in Ubud and to provide adequate parking spaces,” he said.

The local authority would also regulate the construction of shopping facilities including advertisement boards as well as the construction of large-scale villas and hotels. “We feel we are living in a big, glittering shopping city, not in an art village,” Ardhana said.

There are around 250 small hotels and 10 luxury hotels and villas in Ubud. “Many are operating without the necessary permits,” he added.

A cleanliness program would be the hardest part of the changes for Ubud administration to tackle. “It is very difficult to build a clean culture. We will never give up, however, to create a clean and safe Ubud.”

Bali to host Live Earth concert in April

Avril Holderness-Roddam, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 02/02/2010 6:51 PM | Arts and Entertainment

Bali will host Live Earth: Run for Water 2010 concert in April that will feature local and International artists who will donate their time to raise awareness of the importance of making clean, safe water available to all people.

Participants in the Run for Water event can enrol to run or walk for six kilometers (the approximate distance walked daily by many women and children around the world in order for them to collect water) on the day, April 18.

During the press conferense celebrities and other people involved with the event discussed the importance of providing suitable water to communities and commented that the way to improve the sistaution is through public awareness and public education.

Celebrities present included Slank, DJ. Anton and the present Puteri Indonesia, Qory Sandioriva. You can find out more about Live Earth at the official website: http://liveearth.org/en/. JP/ Avril Holderness-Roddam

Ministry wants regions to promote museums

Hasyim Widhiarto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 01/25/2010 11:37 AM

Attracting not more than 3 percent of the country’s population, it’s not unfair to claim that Indonesia’s museums are unpopular.

This year, however, the Culture and Tourism Ministry had decided to promote the country’s flailing cultural sites by launching the “2010 Visit Museum Year.”

The program also marks the beginning of the ministry’s 5-year program called the “National Movement of Loving Museums,” which is aimed at revitalizing the country’s museums.

Intan Mardiana Napitupulu, the ministry’s director of museums, said the ministry would spend the year urging local governments and other institutions to spend more time evaluating the condition of museums and start making significant changes.

“We will help finance the renovation of more than a dozen museums,” she said, adding that she hoped that up to 90 museums could receive similar support by 2014.

Intan said it was not easy for most of the country’s museums to make major changes, which would attract an increasing number of visitors, due to financial limitations.

According to Intan, more than half of the country’s 272 museums are currently run and financially supported by regional administrations, while the remainder are managed by businesses, private foundations, government institutions and the army.

The ministry itself is responsible for only 10 museums, including the National Museum, also known as Museum Gajah (Elephant Museum), and the Proclamation Museum, which are both in Central Jakarta and the 250-year-old Vredeburg Fort in Yogyakarta.

“Such decentralized management should have made it easier for local governments or other institutions to develop their museums,” Intan said.

“Unfortunately though, only a small number of them have the budget to maintain their museums properly.”

Many museums even struggle to meet the ministry’s minimum service standards, including cleanliness and good air circulation, because of a lack of funding, said Intan.

In its 2009 survey, the directorate found that only 40 percent of museums met the standards of comfort and other basic functions specified by the ministry.

As well as poor maintenance in the majority of museums, more than 11 museums have shut down due to financial constraints.

“Some of the museums weren’t regularly open for visitors, while others didn’t have enough staff to manage the maintenance of their collections,” she said.

Intan said human resources was also a problem as few staffers came from an archeology background.

Many museums in Jakarta have vast and complete collections, but most of them are kept in storerooms.

More developed museums in European countries, for example, have a permanent exhibit, but several times a year they hold thematic exhibits of the collection they have in store. Jakarta’s museums, however, never do this.

Data from the ministry showed that Indonesia attracted 6.46 million foreign tourists last year, an increase from 6.2 million visitors in 2008. Many foreign tourists visit museums.

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Visit Museum 2010 campaign not catching on