MBG Provides Decent Income Jobs for Local Residents

The introduction of the Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) programme benefits not only school students but also provides decent jobs for the community. Adha Sidik Hidayat, a cook at the Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG) Banjarwangunan 1 in Mundu Subdistrict, Cirebon Regency, acknowledges that this programme absorbs workers with fair incomes. “From the volunteers themselves, who were previously unemployed, they certainly get decent jobs. Some of our volunteers are single parents, and the existence of MBG greatly helps them support their children,” said Adha. As an SPPG volunteer, he himself receives income above the Cirebon Regency minimum wage every month. “The benchmark from BGN for volunteers is Rp 100-200 thousand per day. For chefs, it’s an average of Rp 200 thousand per day. Just multiply by the number of working days. This is quite decent because the minimum wage in Cirebon is nearly Rp 3 million, so it exceeds the Cirebon minimum wage,” said the chef who has been working since June 2025. As is known, each SPPG has 47 volunteers, consisting of preparation division, cooking division, portioning division, washing division, drivers, general workers, and security. Plus three people from SPPG, namely the Head of SPPG, Nutritionist, and Accountant. According to Adha, all the workers come from local residents. This is because BGN requires recruitment of workers from the surrounding community. “Indeed, BGN mandates that those working at SPPG must be warlok (local residents),” he explained. In his view, the MBG programme has extensive benefits, starting from the beneficiaries, especially underprivileged students. It also revitalises UMKM around the SPPG. “UMKM in the surrounding area also grow and develop. Not to mention suppliers directly involved in procuring raw materials for the kitchen, even nearby stalls thrive because volunteers buy coffee, food, or the like every day,” he concluded.