Sebuntal Village, East Kalimantan – PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), in collaboration with the village government, held a Training for Farmer Group Administrators and Village Guides in the meeting room of the Sebuntal Village Office, Marangkayu District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency on May 14-19th, 2025. This training was attended by 20 participants from various stakeholders and was attended by the Marangkayu District Leadership Coordination Forum/Forum Koordinasi Pimpinan Kecamatan (Forkopimcam) and representatives of the Sebuntal Village Government/Pemerintah Desa (Pemdes).

The activity, themed "Increasing the Capacity of Sebuntal Farmer Group Administrators and Guides," is a manifestation of the Company's commitment to supporting the development of community independence, particularly the independence and welfare of local farmers.

In his remarks, PHSS Field Manager Widhiarto Imam Subarkah explained the Company's commitment to continuing the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. "The Company's CSR program aims to increase community independence in line with the achievement of sustainable development goals. In this training, fellow Kelompok Tani (Poktan) and Pemandu are expected to gain new knowledge to be used in their long-term businesses," said the man who is familiarly called Imam.

According to him, PHSS's support for increasing the capacity of local farmers aligns with the Indonesian Government's Asta Cita mandate to achieve food self-sufficiency. "We also collaborate with various parties so that this program is successful and has a lasting impact," added Imam.

In this activity, PHSS presented speakers, including the Director of Lapenkop Dekopin, Arifuddin, and instructor Riswan, who delivered various strategic materials about cooperatives. The materials included understanding the identity and organization of cooperatives, the stages of member meetings, cooperative business mechanisms and capital, as well as procedures for distributing remaining business results. Lapenkop Dekopin, established by the Indonesian Cooperative Council/Dewan Koperasi Indonesia (Dekopin), is a cooperative training institution that adopts a typical Danish training system, which has long been a global standard in the cooperative world as an implementing partner.

On the topic of “Understanding the Identity of Cooperatives,” the resource person explained that cooperatives are business entities based on family values ​​and the spirit of cooperation, which primarily aim to improve the welfare of its members. The identity of cooperatives is reflected in basic principles such as voluntary and open membership, democratic management, fair distribution of remaining business results, independence, cooperative education, and cooperation between cooperatives. The formation of cooperatives must be based on the common interests and economic needs of its members, and this process must be correct, appropriate, and compliant. "In its operations, the cooperative is a means for its members to help each other and help themselves through joint efforts, active participation, and decision-making mechanisms that reflect the principle of one member, one vote.

Marangkayu Sub-district Head H. AR. Ambo Dalle expressed his appreciation to PHSS, which has consistently assisted the agricultural sector in Sebuntal Village since 2015. "Alhamdulillah, thank you to PHSS Management, which has fostered agriculture in Sebuntal Village since 2015, starting from land cultivation, including its support for training guides and farmer group administrators for the 2024 budget year," he said.

The Marangkayu Subdistrict Head also explained the great potential of the agricultural sector in Sebuntal Village, including the existence of 500 hectares of agricultural land and the construction of a large dam as part of the OPLAH (Operasi Lahan Basah) program. "With guidance and maximizing the potential of farmers, of course, the welfare of our farmers will increase," he continued.

This training is the first step in strengthening the institutional capacity of farmers, especially in forming and managing healthy and competitive cooperatives. This enthusiasm aligns to make Sebuntal Village one of the food centers in Kutai Kartanegara Regency, supporting food supplies to the Capital City of the Archipelago.

PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS) is a subsidiary of PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) in Zona 9, which manages upstream oil and gas operations and businesses by the principles of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the Sanga Sanga Working Area in East Kalimantan. As a Contractor for the Cooperation Contract for the Indonesian government represented by SKK Migas, PHSS, together with other PHI subsidiaries and affiliates, implement innovative Social and Environmental Responsibility programs in the fields of Economy, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Response to support sustainable community empowerment and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PHI is headquartered in Jakarta. More information about PHSS and PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.