PANGANDARAN (November 22, 2019) – The Indonesian Social Affairs Minister Juliari P. Batubara Launched the Disaster Preparedness Area (KSB) in the South Beach of Java Island, which taken place at Town Square of Kalipucang District, Regency of Pangandaran, West Java, Friday morning.

“Our country is disaster-prone areas. Thus, we need to be ready. The launch of Disaster Preparedness Area is to strengthen the disaster mitigation and I want all stakeholder being compact and ready if the disaster happens one day,” said the Minister in his direction in front of thousands Disaster Preparedness Area’s participant.

He said that Disaster Preparedness Area was a follow-up result from the RI President’s direction which said that all stakeholder should be sensitive and anticipative toward the disaster. The President also instructed that education on disaster was massively delivered to the public.

“Preparedness on the disaster location must be improved. I do not want people to be confuse if there is a disaster strikes. Therefore, disaster management simulation has to be done more often not only on Pangandaran, but also on the other disaster-prone area around the country,” he said.

Disaster Preparedness Area was a place for disaster management which based on the integrated approach and involved many officials in several high disaster-prone areas and the surrounding area which would be as support area.

The focus was to provide education for the public and facilitated the arrangement of Minimum Service Standard on Disaster Management, which managed on duty and authority distribution between the central and local related to the disaster management.

On this education, the Ministry of Social Affairs developed Community Based Disaster Management which been implemented in Tagana Goes to School (TMS) program and Disaster Preparedness Village (KSB).

The Disaster Preparedness Area was the development from Disaster Preparedness Village program which has been done by the MoSA since 2010.

If the disaster education and training in Disaster Preparedness Village was only been done per village. Now with the presence of Disaster Preparedness Area, the scope became wider in covering the disaster-prone areas which bordered between districts, regency, or provinces.

Meanwhile, during the breaks, the Minister invited 4 persons of Disaster Preparedness Area caretaker to come. In front of the participant, the Minister asked on the preparedness to face disaster.

“Mention on the things that we have to do if there is a Tsunami disaster?” he asked.

He also asked on what skills had been taught on the Disaster Preparedness Area, how to do the evacuation procedure, etc.

The launch event of Disaster Preparedness Area in Town Square of Kalipucang District, Pangandaran Regency was followed by 1.748 persons consisted of 100 Disaster Preparedness Entering School Cadets, 390 persons of Disaster Preparedness Area Caretaker Team, 200 persons Disaster Preparedness Cadets from West Java Province, 108 persons of Disaster Preparedness Cadets from Central Java Province, 50 invitational partners, 100 persons of other stakeholder, 800 persons from the public.

This event was been done on 18-22 November on 2019 with involving the public and also public figures from 6 area consist of Kalipucang and Pangandaran District of Pangandaran Regency; Adipala District of Cilacap Regency on Central Java; District of Kesugihan, Buayan, Ayah of Cilacap Regency, Central Java.

In this event, the Minister symbolically handed over the Logistic Assistance worth IDR2,3 billion.

The logistic assistance consisted of disaster management bufferstock assistance which divided for West Java Province worth IDR1.1 billion and for Central Java Province worth IDR1.2 billion.

The assistance type which been given include the 3.780 package of children’s food, 60.360 packs of Instant Noodles, 8 units of Multipurpose Family Tent, 980 sheets of Roll Tent, 490 units of Bed, 490 units of Velbed, 490 packages of Family Kit, 490 units of Kids Ware, 490 package of Food Ware, 490 packages of Kitchen Appliance, 90 packages of Clothe, 50 packages of Disaster Preparedness Cadets’ Ware pack and the Equipment.

Most of the assistance will be distributed to the social granaries of Disaster Preparedness Area on each formed area.

A resident of Kalipucang District, Rusman (59) said that the disaster education from the Ministry of Social Affairs was very important for the villagers.

“This activity is very important and helpful for the villagers especially on the fact that Pangandaran had been covered by tsunami once. Now we know how to save ourself and help each other if there is a disaster,” said the man who take a place as Head of RT-01/RW-04 of Cirateun Village, Putrapinggan Village.

On the same opportunity, the Director General of Social Protection and Security Harry Hikmat stated that, Disaster Preparedness Area was been collaborated with the Tagana Goes to School activity as the disaster education for the students, teachers, and parents on the school which was located on the disaster-prone area.

“Disaster Preparedness Area is the development of Disaster Preparedness Village program which has been done since 2010,” Harry said.

If the disaster education and training on Disaster Preparedness Village program was only been done per village, now with the presence of Disaster Preparedness Area, the scope was got larger and covered the disaster-prone area which bordered between districts, regency or province.

“In this education, the MoSA develops the Community Based Disaster Management which implemented in Tagana Goes to School (TMS) and Disaster Preparedness Village program,” Harry added.

 There were Director of Social Protection for Disaster Victims Alam Rachmat Koesnadi and Senior Advisor for Minister on Social Accessibility Sonny W. Manalu

Acting Head of Public Relations Bureau

The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs

Sonny W Manalu