Food Assistance as a Social Safety Net Distributed in Cirebon City

Food assistance (Banpang) has been launched in Cirebon City. The launch of Banpang is an integral part of the National Food Security Programme.

The launch of Banpang took place at the Larangan Sub-district Office on Thursday (26/3). This launch also marks the start of large-scale food distribution carried out simultaneously across 22 sub-districts in Cirebon City. The launch of Banpang is a cross-sectoral collaboration between the Food Security, Agriculture, and Fisheries Agency (DKPP3), the Social Agency, and Perum Bulog’s Cirebon Branch Office.

Cirebon’s Deputy Mayor, Siti Farida Rosmawati, who directly monitored the distribution process in the field, emphasised that this programme is an integral part of the National Food Security Programme. “This assistance is expected to serve as a social safety net capable of dampening price fluctuations at the consumer level, while also providing peace of mind for residents in meeting their daily needs,” said Farida. Recipients of Banpang are residents whose data comes from Deciles 1 to 4, meaning it covers people from extreme poverty to moderate categories.

Furthermore, Farida hopes that through strengthening this social safety net, the food distribution chain will remain maintained and inflation can be kept at a healthy level. “The presence of the state in the form of food assistance is expected not only to provide physical aid but also to build a sense of security for residents amid a challenging economic situation,” said Farida.

Meanwhile, the Head of Perum Bulog’s Cirebon Branch Office, Imam Mahdi, explained that the volume of assistance in this period has increased as a response to community needs. “The number of Beneficiary Families (KPM) this time is 35,031 people. We will closely monitor the distribution process starting from 26 March and it is targeted to be completed by 31 March 2026,” said Imam.

Each family, Imam continued, will receive an allocation of 20 kilograms of rice from the government’s food reserves as well as 4 litres of cooking oil. “May this assistance become an economic stimulus that eases the burden on the community while strengthening Cirebon City’s position in maintaining food price stability,” hoped Imam.