Planting Hope in Asmat Land Through a Casuarina Tree

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming carefully planted a casuarina tree into the ground at the Holy Cross Cathedral in Agats, Asmat Regency, South Papua, on Sunday (21/6/2026). For the Asmat community, the tree is not merely ornamental but carries deep meaning: a symbol of growing life, enduring hope, and a commitment to completing a cathedral built through mutual cooperation and local natural wealth.

The tree planting was part of the Vice President’s working agenda in the South Papua region. According to the Vice Presidential Secretariat, the visit aimed to ensure that basic infrastructure development, including religious service facilities, is progressing optimally in the area.

This review of the church construction aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to strengthen inclusive and equitable development. The government’s focus is on reaching frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged regions so that no area feels left behind in the national modernisation process.

Upon arrival, Vice President Gibran received an in-depth briefing on the building’s physical progress from Vallens Aji Sayekti, Head of Socio-Economic Development for the Agats Diocese. Aji explained that the main structure of the church is fully complete. The project is now entering a crucial phase, namely the completion of the roof and interior work.

One of the unique aspects of the new Holy Cross Cathedral is the use of abundant local materials from the Asmat region. ‘All the wood is from here, Sir. This is local wood, Sir. This is all done manually, Sir,’ Aji explained to the Vice President.

The construction stands as tangible proof of the strength of mutual cooperation. Funding and labour have come from various sources, including donors, the local government, voluntary contributions from Catholic civil servants, and the active participation of the local congregation. However, the diocese acknowledged that there is still a budget shortfall to complete all the finishing details.

The planting of the casuarina tree by Vice President Gibran at the end of the review is hoped to ignite a spirit of togetherness. The tree represents environmental stewardship as well as the central government’s commitment to continue safeguarding a better future for Asmat through the provision of proper public and religious facilities.

This visit underscored that development in South Papua is not solely about physical structures, but also about nurturing the soul and spirituality of the community through representative facilities that honour local wisdom.