VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Executive Secretary of the National Team for the Acceleration of Poverty Reduction (TNP2K) Bambang Widianto, Wednesday (14/10/2020), in a virtual seminar, said that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Indonesia's efforts to tackle stunting.

"The problem of stunting is directly proportional to the need for food security and nutrition. These two things have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Therefore, he said that to ensure food and nutrition security continues amid the pandemic, the central government invites all parties, including regional governments, to develop types of local food.

"Due to the complexity of food insecurity and nutrition, a concerted effort across the government is needed to tackle it. This needs an active role on the behalf of the local government to enhance local food," Bambang continued.

This suggests that local government could play a larger role in complementing the central government stunting reduction effort by focusing on nutrition-specific intervention and accommodating local problems.

"Enhancing food security and nutritions calls for cooperation between many stakeholders. It requires not just coordinated effort across ministries but also beyond as local government should also take an active role in stunting elevation,".

Furthermore, Bambang Widianto said that the COVID-19 pandemic also impacted the national economy. This has resulted in a decrease in people's income and weakening purchasing power.

Even so, the government has taken steps to deal with it, one of which is through the provision of several social assistance programs to affected communities.

"The provision of social assistance must also be in line with increasing public awareness of nutrition and good nutrition practices," said Bambang.

Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics show that in the first quarter of 2020, the poverty rate in Indonesia increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 9.22 percent in September 2019 to 9.78 percent in March 2020.

BPS also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of poor people in Indonesia to over 2 million people. (VOI)

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati emphasized that the education sector is the most powerful tool or weapon to transform Indonesia into a more developed, just, and prosperous country.

"Use the knowledge given to change the world, turn Indonesia into a developed, just, prosperous country and have high dignity and civilization," she said in a virtual STAN PKN Graduation Ceremony in Jakarta, Wednesday.

Sri Mulyani stated that a world figure from South Africa, Nelson Mandela, said that education is the most powerful weapon and is very capable of changing the world.

"One of the world figures from South Africa who is the Father of Reconciliation, Nelson Mandela, said that education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world," she said.

Sri Mulyani told 3,231 graduates and PKN STAN graduates, that they were the chosen people who had successfully experienced higher education in Indonesia. This happened because according to her, only nine percent of children in Indonesia can attend university.

"Only nine percent of Indonesians are capable and have the luck to continue their education to the tertiary level. So, you are the elite nine percent," she said.

Therefore, she emphasized that the entire community, including STAN PKN graduates, had the opportunity to feel that universities have an enormous responsibility, namely to change Indonesia for the better.

"This means that you will be required to continue to build and improve our country and nation," she said.

She also advised that the STAN PKN graduates and other students could use their knowledge in order to build Indonesia to be advanced, just, prosperous, and have high dignity and civilization.

The government has allocated 20 percent of the total State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) per year to support the education sector so it can produce agents of change.

"You are given the tools in the form of the best education in the Republic of Indonesia, and even when you study, it is paid by state money. Now you will be required to become agents of change," she said. (Antaranews)

The Ministry of Health revealed that the availability of isolation rooms in all COVID-19 referral hospitals in various provinces in Indonesia is still adequate to treat COVID-19 patients.

Based on the Ministry of Health's press statement quoted in Jakarta, Wednesday, it was stated that in Indonesia there are 903 COVID-19 referral hospitals because the capacity of isolation rooms continues to increase.

"We have 132 Ministry of Health referral hospitals and 771 referral hospitals according to the Governor's Decree. With the increase in the number of referral hospitals, the capacity of hospitals with isolation rooms will increase,” said the Director of Referral Health Services at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, dr. Rita Rogayah Sp. P (K), MARS.

She said the isolation room continued to increase from March to October. From the COVID-19 referral hospital, there are 35 thousand beds, and from the referral hospital based on the Governor's Decree, there are 51,222 isolation beds.

"So now we see that the focus of attention is Jakarta. Jakarta has about 5 thousand beds. We can see this addition from this one month, where previously 4 thousand now have 6 thousand beds," she added.

She explained that Jakarta is one of the 11 priority provinces for handling COVID-19 by the government. The eleven provinces include DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, North Sumatra, Bali, Papua, Banten, and Aceh.

"Of the 11 existing provinces, the percentage of use of isolation rooms is still between 40 to 60 percent. The condition of the ratio of use of a bed to the isolation space is still sufficient. Hopefully, there won't be more cases, but we are preparing a COVID-19 referral hospital based on the Decree of the Minister of Health and the Governor," said Rita Rogayah.

Data reported by the COVID-19 Task Force until Wednesday (13/10) 2020 cases of COVID-19 increased by 3,906 cases, bringing the total to 340,622 cases. Meanwhile, 4,777 patients recovered with a total of 263,296 COVID-19 patients.

Meanwhile, cases of positive COVID-19 sufferers who have died have increased by 92 to 12,027 deaths. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo reminded all parties to stay alert for monthly rainfall which is getting frequent in Indonesia due to the La Nina phenomenon.

"The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency [BMKG] told me that the La Nina phenomenon will increase the monthly rainfall in Indonesia by 20-40 percent above normal," President Joko Widodo said at the State Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday.

President Joko Widodo conveyed this in a limited meeting on Expecting Hydrometeorological Disasters with his ministers.
La Nina is a condition of deviation (anomaly) in the sea surface temperature of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean which is cooler than normal.

"I want all of us to prepare ourselves to expect the possibility of a hydro-meteorological disaster," added the President.

President Jokowi also wants to see the impact of La Nina on the production of the agricultural, fishery, and transportation sectors.

"Because 20-40 percent is not a small increase, I ask that information is disseminated as soon as possible to all provinces and regions so they know everything," he said.

Previously, BMKG said the impact of La Nina was not uniform throughout Indonesia. In October-November 2020, an increase in monthly rainfall due to La Nina can occur in almost all regions of Indonesia except Sumatra.

From December to February 2021, increased rainfall might occur in eastern Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku-North Maluku, and Papua.

In October, several season zones in Indonesia are expected to enter the rainy season, including the east coast of Aceh, parts of Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bangka, Lampung, Banten, parts of West Java, parts of Central Java, parts of East Java, parts of West Kalimantan, parts of Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, parts of East Kalimantan and parts of North Kalimantan, a small part of Sulawesi, North Maluku and a small part of NTB.

The increase in high rainfall might cause hydrometeorological disasters, such as landslides and floods, so all parties need to take mitigation measures to reduce disaster risk to prevent any casualties.

Hydrometeorological disasters are disasters caused by weather phenomena. Apart from floods and landslides, other hydrometeorological disasters are strong winds, hail, and cyclones. (Antaranews)