Government deploys team over demolition of Gorontalo city cultural heritage site

The Ministry of Culture has prepared a team to provide assistance regarding the historic building, the Gorontalo Post Office, which holds city-level cultural heritage status. “Specifically for Gorontalo, we have deployed a team to assist the Cultural Heritage Expert Team (TACB) there and also the cultural preservation office for the Gorontalo region to provide assistance in relation to the demolition,” said Director General of Cultural and Traditional Protection at the Ministry of Culture, Restu Gunawan, in Jakarta on Monday. The assistance is intended to enable advocacy concerning the demolition of the former post office official residence in Gorontalo city, which is a city-level cultural heritage site. “After that, we will determine the next steps,” Restu said. Restu reiterated that cultural heritage buildings may be utilised for various positive activities, in line with the government’s plan to promote cultural heritage as living history. “People sometimes act as if these buildings cannot be touched at all. In fact, adaptation can be carried out, they can be used for various purposes. So perhaps we also need to conduct socialisation to governments, the public, and communities that cultural heritage can be adapted and utilised,” he said. The building is known as one of the locations holding historical value for the people of Gorontalo. According to the family of Nani Wartabone, the site was where Nani Wartabone first raised the Red and White flag in the region. A representative of the Nani Wartabone family, Iwan Hulukati, in Gorontalo on Saturday, said the demolition was carried out after the landowner won a lawsuit against the Gorontalo City Government. “We have written to the mayor, the governor, the ministry, and related parties requesting a postponement and joint discussion, but until now, the demolition has continued,” Iwan said. According to him, the building was the official residence of the Post Office and holds significant historical value for Gorontalo. Therefore, the family hopes the historical traces attached to the building can still be preserved.