Bandung Mayor Farhan Considers Distance Learning
The issue of the energy crisis due to the war in the Middle East has been addressed variously by the central and regional governments. Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan stated that there are currently differing recommendations between the central government and the provincial government regarding flexible work patterns.
The West Java Provincial Government suggests implementing work from anywhere (WFA) every Thursday. Meanwhile, the central government proposes carrying it out on Fridays. According to Farhan, the Bandung City Government is still considering the on-the-ground situation, including the possibility of applying distance learning or PJJ in the school environment.
“We are first looking at the situation, including considering whether schools also need to implement PJJ,” he said in a written statement on Wednesday, 25 March 2026.
The government plans to implement a policy of working outside the office for both government and private institutions to save fuel oil (BBM) in line with the global situation.
According to Farhan, the Bandung City Government has not yet implemented a work-from-home policy or learning outside school. The reason is that it is still waiting for implementation guidelines and technical instructions from the central government. “Because we can’t do it arbitrarily,” he said.
Until now, he said, the central government through Pertamina has guaranteed that BBM distribution will continue normally. In addition, Farhan claimed there are no indications of an increase in subsidised BBM prices in the near future. “Pertamina guarantees that we will still have BBM supplies and there are no signs of an increase in subsidised BBM prices,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Bandung City Secretary Iskandar Zulkarnain said that the plan for work from home (WFH) on Fridays has the potential to increase tourist visits to Bandung City. “If, for example, Friday is WFH, people can come to Bandung earlier, which will certainly have a positive impact,” he said.
According to him, Bandung City as a tourist destination has great opportunities to utilise that policy in driving regional economic growth, especially from the tourism sector.
Nevertheless, Iskandar said that the implementation of WFH must still pay attention to the quality of public services. He assured that services to the public must not be disrupted by that policy. “In principle, public services must continue to run optimally. That is the priority,” he said. His side will evaluate the choice of WFH day that will be set by the central government.