From the ranks to the kampung
The flag has been lowered, shoes returned to storage, and the Paskibraka ranks slowly dispersed towards their respective homes.
However, for the Surabaya City Government, the service of these young people who have just carried out their state duties is expected not to end after the 17 August ceremony.
Hundreds of Paskibraka members from several cohorts are being prepared to become Duta Kampung Pancasila (Pancasila Village Ambassadors) in 2027. The idea was conveyed by Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi during the 2026 Surabaya Paskibraka Appreciation Night on Monday (17/8).
This idea is compelling not merely because it involves young people who once stood tall before the Red and White flag. More broadly, the plan demonstrates an effort to transform national character education from ceremony into social activity that directly touches the lives of residents.
From 2022 to 2026, Surabaya has produced approximately five Paskibraka cohorts, each comprising around 100 members. In 2026 alone, 98 young people participated in the centralised education and training programme, consisting of 49 young men and 49 young women.
They underwent approximately two weeks of education with an agenda that extended beyond marching drills. National insight, the practice of Pancasila values, leadership, anti-drug awareness, and psychological support all formed part of their preparation.
It is at this point that the idea of making them ambassadors in their own neighbourhoods gains its relevance. Intensive education would lose much of its meaning if it merely produced the ability to perform ceremonies without leaving behind behaviours that can be felt by the community.
Presidential Regulation Number 51 of 2022 indeed positions the Paskibraka Programme as part of Pancasila ideology development carried out in a planned, comprehensive, integrated, and sustainable manner. The programme encompasses Paskibraka, purnapaskibraka (alumni), and purnapaskibraka Duta Pancasila.
Thus, Surabaya’s idea is not merely about extending the use of the Paskibraka symbol. There is a policy foundation that places them as part of the regeneration of young people with Pancasila character.
However, precisely because it has a strong foundation, its implementation must not stop at a new label.