Jakarta Sub-district Heads Enthusiastic to Participate in Benyamin S Award
A number of sub-district heads (Lurah) in DKI Jakarta are enthusiastically welcoming and participating in the Benyamin S Award (BSA) event. The assessment process is currently being conducted by judges across sub-districts within the categories of cleanliness, comfort, beauty, and prosperity.
Henny Mahroja, the Head of Kebon Sirih, stated that navigating the BSA judging stages is not an easy task. “We must align the perceptions between the government and the residents,” Henny said on Tuesday (30/09) during the assessment.
According to her, the residents of Kebon Sirih have coordinated and collaborated effectively, ensuring the process runs smoothly.
Meanwhile, the Head of Lagoa, Yuyun Wahyudi, confirmed participation in two award categories: cleanliness and comfort. “Cleanliness is focused on RW 6. This area has a waste bank and routine waste sorting activities among residents, so in RW 6, waste becomes a source of livelihood and a blessing,” said Yuyun.
Ria Handayani, the Head of Utan Kayu Selatan, expressed optimism about securing the BSA award. “Thanks to the cooperation of everyone—RT, RW, and LMK—and our local arts and culture groups, we are all working together to prepare for the BSA competition in 2026,” she said. “Hopefully, the results will help develop the Utan Kayu Selatan area further,” Ria added.
The Jakarta Provincial Government is once again hosting the Benyamin S Award. This award serves as a platform to appreciate sub-districts with the best programmes within the capital. Following the online verification stage, the selection process has moved to field assessments by a judging team across 27 selected sub-districts.
The vibrancy of traditional Betawi music, arts, and culture consistently greets the arrival of the Benyamin S Award 2026 judging team at the sub-districts selected for this stage. This annual award is named after the legendary Betawi artist Benyamin Suep, which also serves as an acronym for Bersih, Nyaman, Indah, and Sejahtera (Clean, Comfortable, Beautiful, and Prosperous).
These four pillars constitute the categories used by the judging team to select the best sub-districts in Jakarta. The judging panel consists of expert staff to the Governor and specialists from various regional government organisations. At least 27 sub-districts across five municipal areas and the Thousand Islands are being assessed for their potential and innovation in each submitted category.
Nirwono Yoga, a Benyamin S Award judge and urban planning observer, noted that the judges conduct four specific assessments. The first is whether the sub-district is clean or waste-free.
“The second is comfort. This involves assessing the efforts of each sub-district head to free their area from slums and open defecation,” he said.
The third assessment involves identifying potential green open spaces to be developed into parks amidst urban density.
“What is also interesting is the emergence of potential in areas such as arts, culture, and culinary delights, which could serve as future tourism destinations within the sub-districts,” Nirwono concluded.