Jakarta – PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) has designated 15 of Kalimantan’s top students as recipients of the Sobat Bumi Kalimantan Scholarship Program/Program Beasiswa Sobat Bumi Kalimantan (BSBK) in 2025. The full scholarship program is intended for undergraduate education and is awarded to students from underprivileged families living around the Company’s operating areas in East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. One of the BSBK recipients is Salwa Ladita, a girl from Tarakan and a graduate of SMKN 1 Tarakan, located approximately 1.4 kilometers from upstream oil and gas facilities operated by a PHI affiliate, PT Pertamina EP Tarakan Field, in North Kalimantan.

Through the BSBK Program, PHI continues to support Kalimantan’s young generation in pursuing their dreams and building a better future. Before receiving the scholarship, Salwa, who has now begun her studies in the Psychology Department at the University of Borneo Tarakan (UBT), realized that her family faced financial limitations in supporting her higher education. Nevertheless, she was determined to continue her studies and become the first university graduate in her family. “I want to make my parents proud by becoming the first child in my family to earn a bachelor’s degree,” she said. This determination motivated her to take part in the BSBK selection process enthusiastically.

From the early stages of the selection process, including the submission of a Motivation Letter, Salwa expressed her desire to make a positive impact on others if she were allowed to pursue higher education through the scholarship. During the interview, the interviewers' feedback encouraged her to become more adaptable and more aware of social and environmental issues. Salwa shared that her strongest support came from her extended family, especially her mother and grandmother. Her family felt immense pride and joy when Salwa was officially announced as a BSBK recipient and attended the inauguration ceremony held in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on November 17, 2025.

Salwa is committed to using the scholarship responsibly and productively. In addition to supporting her academic needs, she plans to participate in seminars and self-development activities, particularly in psychology. For Salwa, the scholarship marks the beginning of a journey to continuously learn, grow, and contribute to meaningful change in society through the knowledge she gains in psychology.

PHI Manager of Communication, Relations & CID, Dony Indrawan, explained that 2025 marks the second implementation of the BSBK Program. He reaffirmed the Company’s belief that education is one of the main foundations for building an independent and broad-minded society and a better future for the next generation. “Through BSBK, we aim to open wider access to higher education for local youth in our operating areas,” he said. BSBK recipients come from several ring-1 operating areas in East Kalimantan, including Muara Badak, Muara Jawa, Samboja, Marangkayu, Anggana, and Sanga-Sanga, as well as from Tarakan in North Kalimantan and Murung Pudak in South Kalimantan.

Like Salwa, all scholarship recipients receive comprehensive support, including tuition assistance, living allowances, and capacity-building programs focused on environmental awareness. The 15 recipients have begun their first semester of study at partner universities in Kalimantan, namely the University of Borneo Tarakan, Mulawarman University, Samarinda State Polytechnic, Kalimantan Institute of Technology, and Lambung Mangkurat University.

The BSBK Program is fully supported by Pertamina Foundation as the implementing partner, along with PHI’s subsidiaries, namely PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), and PT Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT). “The selection process, which began in July and concluded with the announcement in October 2025, became a journey filled with inspiration and hope. We witnessed many stories of perseverance, a strong spirit of learning, and big dreams from the participants,” he said.

Dony added that scholarship recipients will also participate in Aksi Sobat Bumi and Desa Energi Berdikari Sobat Bumi (DEB SoBI) activities, including mangrove planting, waste collection and processing, and environmental education at schools, to strengthen their contribution to sustainable development.

PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) is part of Pertamina's Upstream Subholding, which manages upstream oil and gas operations and businesses in Regional 3, Kalimantan, covering Zona 8, 9, and 10, in accordance with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles to achieve its vision of becoming a world-class oil and gas company. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, in collaboration with SKK Migas, PHI implements innovative Corporate Social Responsibility programs in the areas of economy, education, health, environment, infrastructure, and disaster response. These initiatives support the sustainability of national oil and gas production and realize #EnergiKalimantanUntukIndonesia. PHI is headquartered in Jakarta. For further information about PHI, please visit https://phi.pertamina.com.