Indonesia channels spirit of 'gotong royong' in COVID-19 battle by Fardah

Jakarta, April 30 , 2020- Since it first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, the coronavirus disease has spread to 211 countries and territories, with 3,237,614 confirmed cases, 1,010,320 recoveries, and 228,830 deaths recorded globally, according to Worldometer website.

While declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, the WHO director general, in a media briefing on March 11, 2020, had said that every sector and every individual must be involved in the fight against the deadly virus.

“I have said from the beginning that countries must take a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach, built around a comprehensive strategy to prevent infections, save lives and minimize impact,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

As of April 30, 2020, Indonesia has recorded 10,118 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 792 people succumbing to the infection and 522 patients making a full recovery. The centers of COVID-19 transmission in the country include Jakarta, and several cities in West Java, East Java, Central Java, and Banten.
In keeping with the WHO advise, Indonesia has been involving all stakeholders in battling the virus, and optimizing the nation’s tradition of “gotong royong”, or mutual help or cooperation.
"The government cannot work alone. The entire nation's participation is indispensable," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said from the Bogor Presidential Palace on April 18, 2020.

He said the current situation has left people ill at ease, but, with the spirit of "goyong royong", Indonesia would be able to come out of the current crisis.
The call for “gotong royong” resonated with nutritionist Lidya Sembiring, who registered as a volunteer at Jakarta’s Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital, which is providing COVID-19 treatment. She made the decision after witnessing her medical peers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 battle and upon hearing of the demise of a people she knew.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS, SOCIAL SAFETY GET PRIORITY AS SLOWDOWN LOOMS by Fardah

Jakarta, March 31,  2020 - The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, declared by the WHO as a pandemic, has wreaked havoc on the global economy by disrupting supply chains, halting tourism, and triggering layoffs in several countries, including Indonesia.

Many self-employed Indonesians working in the informal sector, such as street vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers, have had to suspend their businesses on account of the virus forcing customers to stay at home.

In addition, hundreds of thousands of workers may face layoffs due to the disruption of production chains. "We are calling this a layoff emergency situation," Said Iqbal, president of the Indonesia Labor Union Confederation (KSPI) said.

On March 20, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) assured the Indonesian people that the government is ready to face the economic slowdown owing to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Indonesian government has claimed that it had put precautionary measures in place since the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. The government's response has focused on three aspects -- safety and health; social safety net; and, economic impact.

Jokowi, who is working out of the Bogor Palace and communicating with his ministers via teleconferencing, has echoed the government’s decision to offer a social safety net and economic stimulus to MSMEs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to help them stay afloat in the current challenging scenario.

The government will prepare an economic stimulus for MSMEs and informal businesses without delay, Jokowi remarked while chairing a limited cabinet meeting via videoconferencing in West Java, on March 30.

SOCIAL SOLIDARITY CALLED POWERFUL TOOL FOR DEALING WITH NATIONAL PROBLEMS by Fardah

Jakarta, Dec 24, 2016 (Antara) - Having more than 1,300 ethnic groups and 400 distinct languages and dialects, are certainly challenges for the 250-million population of Indonesia, the fourth most populated nation in the world, after China, India and the US.

         Moreover, the country comprises some 17,000 islands and lies between the Ring of Fire and the Alpide Belt, resulting in the country being prone to volcano eruptions, earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis.

         The Ring of Fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur annually. With its 40,000 km horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements. It has 452 volcanoes, including more than 75 percent of the world's active and dormant volcanoes.

         Indonesia has experienced among the world¿s deadliest natural disasters, such as the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa Volcano, and a magnitude-9.3 earthquake off Aceh waters that triggered a massive tsunami on Dec 26, 2004.

        The Indian Ocean earthquake and its resulting tsunami killed an estimated 225,000 to 230,210 people, mostly in Aceh Province and Nias Island (North Sumatra Province), as well as several other countries in Southeast and South Asian regions.