Lestari Moerdijat: Building Disaster Preparedness to Realise National Values of Society
Efforts to build disaster preparedness among society are closely linked to realising the values of the Four Pillars of Nationhood.
“The impact of disasters that occur presents a test of our social solidarity and loyalty to the national values we hold,” said Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat during a Socialisation of the Four Pillars of Nationhood event themed “Strengthening Preparedness Based on Local Knowledge” at the offices of the Central Java Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in Semarang on Friday, 27 February.
Those present at the event included Pangarso Suryoutomo (Deputy for Preparedness at the National Disaster Management Agency—BNPB), Bergas Catursasi Penanggung (Acting Head of Central Java Provincial BPBD), Trinirmalaningrum (Director of Skala Indonesia Foundation), and participants from the Central Java Provincial Government, civil society organisations, universities, and media.
According to Lestari, therefore, disasters and their impacts must become a shared responsibility.
Lestari, known by her nickname Rerie, acknowledged that Indonesia is a nation of abundance, yet we are located in an extremely unstable region within the volcanic belt. This situation, she explained, presents extraordinary challenges that require not merely resilient society preparedness, but also responsiveness to disasters.
According to Rerie, who is also a member of Commission X of the House of Representatives, the values of Pancasila can serve as an ethical foundation for society to adopt when facing disasters.
“The number of disaster victims is not merely a statistical figure, because we are dealing with souls that possess dignity. Furthermore, the constitution mandates protecting every citizen by advancing humanitarian values,” said Rerie.
A senior member of the NasDem Party, she encouraged communities affected by disasters to position themselves not merely as victims, but also as agents capable of helping to resolve disaster-related problems in their regions.
The aspect of disaster protection mandated by the constitution, Rerie stated firmly, must be realised through preparing and empowering society to undertake prevention, risk reduction, and disaster preparedness education.
Most importantly, she added, ensuring the realisation of scientifically-based spatial planning that is understood by all society, as part of efforts to mitigate disasters in the homeland.
Data from the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) over the past 16 years (2010–2025) also showed a trend of increasing floods and landslides that correlates with rising temperatures and climate change.
The Head of the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), Teuku Faisal Fathani, stressed that disaster preparedness must become a culture and worldview of Indonesian society.
The Mayor of Makassar, Munafri Arifuddin, emphasised that disaster preparedness is not merely ceremonial routine, but rather a form of collective responsibility to protect society.
The Ministry of Health through the Health Crisis Centre held a National Simulation Exercise on Preparedness for Megathrust in West Sumatra.
A theatrical simulation of disaster response was conducted at Tegar Beriman Field in Bogor Regency, West Java.
Rerie said that fighting for rights is part of fulfilling the Constitutional mandate to realise an Indonesian society that is just, prosperous, and flourishing.
A wayang kulit performance was attended by various levels of Surakarta society, from parents to students.
Every child of the nation must be able to implement the values contained in the Four Pillars of Nationhood to meet future challenges.
Preserving wayang art is an important part of strengthening national values, as reflected in Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
Gde Sumarjaya Linggih, better known as Demer, gave a speech and guidance to students of SMK Kesehatan PGRI Denpasar on the importance of the Four Pillars of Nationhood.