479th Anniversary Celebration of Semarang City Focuses on Services for the Community
The Semarang City Government has initiated a series of events to mark the 479th anniversary through the Opening of HJKS or Semarang City Anniversary Day, centred at the Semarang City Hall on Tuesday, 14 April 2026. This opening is combined with various agendas, ranging from a fisheries expo and seminars to a fish cooking competition as part of a strategy for efficiency and programme integration.
Through this momentum, Semarang residents directly receive various free services, from transportation and health to education access. This programme serves as a concrete step by the Semarang City Government to ensure that the anniversary celebrations provide tangible benefits from the start of the event series.
Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng stated that this year’s commemoration approach is designed differently, emphasising efficiency and strengthening programmes that directly impact the community. “This year, we have chosen a more efficient approach. The celebrations are not focused on large ceremonial activities but directed towards a movement that provides real benefits to the community,” said Agustina.
She emphasised that the Semarang City Anniversary commemoration is embodied as a “gift” that is directly felt by the community. “Essentially, this anniversary commemoration is realised as a collective movement. Caring for the environment, caring for education, and providing more affordable public services to the community,” she stated.
Several services are prepared to reach the basic needs of residents. In the transportation sector, the Transportation Department is offering free BRT services at certain times, accompanied by the distribution of milk and bread to morning passengers from 1 to 5 May 2026 at several departure points.
“Semarang residents using the BRT in the morning from Simpang Lima stop, Pemuda stop, or Cangkiran Terminal will receive free milk and bread,” said the Head of the Transportation Department, Danang Kurniawan.
In the health sector, the Health Department is providing free examination services including dental scaling and women’s health screenings, to be held from 13 to 18 April 2026 at community health centres and several hospitals, with quotas for thousands of examinations.
In the education sector, the Semarang City Government is also expanding access through a programme for 133 free private schools and homeschooling for children with special needs who are not yet in school. Strengthening the local economy is also an important part of this kick-off. Through the fisheries expo and culinary festival, UMKM actors and the fisheries sector are given space to showcase flagship products while expanding market access.
“We are an UMKM fostered by the Fisheries Department. Our products are based on fish processing and are currently marketed in various souvenir centres in Semarang City,” said Dwi, one of the UMKM actors.
In addition, the fish cooking competition and seminars held as part of the event series serve as efforts for education as well as promoting the consumption of local fishery products to the community. At the peak of the Semarang City Anniversary on 2 May, an environmental care movement is also presented through a programme to exchange plastic drink bottles for various incentives, including local products and plant seedlings that can be planted in home environments.
Through this movement, the community is invited to actively participate in reducing plastic waste while expanding green spaces in their living environments. This series of events will continue until the peak of the Semarang City Anniversary commemoration, which will be filled with joint prayers and the awarding of honours to outstanding figures.
Agustina hopes that the entire series of commemorations can strengthen the welfare of the Semarang community. “Welfare means the community feels safe, peaceful, and has an increasingly better quality of life in Semarang City,” said Agustina.