Dukcapil Team Restores 11,225 Resident Documents in Six Days Following NTT Earthquake
The Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) of the Ministry of Home Affairs has responded to the earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara on Saturday (15/8) by deploying six teams to restore a total of 11,225 resident population documents.
The six teams visited seven regencies, including East Manggarai, West Manggarai, Nagekeo, Manggarai, Ende, Ngada, and Sikka. Over a period of seven days, they reprocessed thousands of population documents directly at displacement camps.
The Director General of Dukcapil at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Teguh Setyabudi, stated that the NTT Earthquake Disaster Response Team operated using a ‘proactive pick-up’ scheme, equipped with supporting tools such as electronic ID (KTP-el) recording and printing equipment, blank ID cards, and Starlink devices.
“Disasters may disrupt buildings and facilities, but they must not disrupt the people’s right to population documents,” said Tegu.
This proactive approach proved successful. The elderly, mothers processing birth certificates, and persons with disabilities flocked to the makeshift Dukcapil ‘offices’ to reclaim their rights.
In the field, officers had to travel between posts, often enduring extreme journeys through sharp bends and varying road conditions—ranging from asphalt to damaged and rocky paths—while remaining vigilant against ongoing aftershocks.
This situation has garnered appreciation from figures such as the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Arifatul Choiri Fauzi, and psychologist and child observer Kak Seto, who visited the displacement camp in Ranaka Village, Wae Ri’i District, Manggarai Regency, on Tuesday (25/8).
As the primary gateway to accessing social assistance, healthcare services, and ensuring children can continue their schooling, the restoration of population documents is of urgent importance.
The entire process of reissuing documents lost or damaged due to the disaster is free of charge. Teguh emphasised that the identity of every citizen must not be allowed to simply vanish.
“Identity is inherent to every citizen. When documents are lost, the state must assist in restoring that certainty of identity,” Teguh concluded.