East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan– The recipients of the Sobat Bumi Kalimantan Scholarship (BSBK) from PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) simultaneously held the Sobat Bumi Action activities, consisting of two main activities: Tree Planting Action and Waste Reduction Action, on December 22, 2024. This year's theme was "Sustainable Energy, My Beautiful Village," marking Pertamina's 67th anniversary.

In East Kalimantan, the Tree Planting Action involved planting 100 productive plant seedlings at Betapus Rice Field Tourism, Lempake, Samarinda, with seven recipients of the BSBK from Mulawarman University (UNMUL). The planted seedlings included rambutan, water guava, mango, and longan. A similar action was carried out by five BSBK recipients from the Kalimantan Institute of Technology (ITK), planting 50 seedlings of snake fruit, mango, and rambutan at KM 20 North Balikpapan, and 150 mangrove seedlings at Lamaru Beach. In addition to planting trees, they collected waste, processed it into eco-bricks, and provided education to the KM 20 North Balikpapan community.

In North Kalimantan, two BSBK recipients from the University of Borneo Tarakan (UBT) also engaged in ecobrick processing and provided education to Amal Beach, East Tarakan community.

PHI's Communication Relations & CID Manager, Dony Indrawan, explained that the BSBK program not only provides access to higher education for the best students of Kalimantan from economically disadvantaged families but also nurtures them to become young generations who can bring sustainable benefits to their communities and the environment. "Through the BSBK Program, PHI aims to contribute to the emergence of young Kalimantan generations who can provide 'energy' that impacts community welfare and environmental sustainability, thus becoming an inspirational figure of Kalimantan Energy for Indonesia," said Dony.

Yulius S. Bulo, Operations Director of Pertamina Foundation, added that as the implementing partner of the BSBK Program, Pertamina Foundation requires scholarship recipients to carry out Sobat Bumi Actions to foster a sustainability spirit among the younger generation. "As the name 'Sobat Bumi' suggests, the primary value we instill through this scholarship is love for the Earth. Therefore, we require all scholarship recipients within the Sobat Bumi ecosystem to carry out Sobat Bumi Actions twice a year," explained Bulo. He further emphasized that these actions train participants in environmental preservation activities and networking. "That is why we mandate them to collaborate with environmental communities and local society."

The Sobat Bumi Action also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 13 (Climate Action), and contributes to efforts towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

"Through this Sobat Bumi Action, we have gained valuable experience interacting directly with the community. We hope that what we do will positively impact the Earth and the local economy in the future," said Zahratul Sa'diyah, a scholarship recipient from Mulawarman University.

The BSBK program provides full support for its recipients, including tuition fees (SPP/UKT), living expenses, and environmental awareness capacity-building. Additionally, scholarship recipients will be involved in various social activities to raise environmental awareness, such as the Sobat Bumi Action program and the Desa Energi Berdikari Sobat Bumi (DEB SoBI).

2024 marks the first year of the BSBK Program as part of PHI's commitment to collaborating with the Pertamina Foundation to create high-quality human resources for Indonesia's Golden Generation in 2045. The BSBK Program awarded scholarships to 15 young Kalimantan residents from underprivileged families this year. The program is fully supported by PHI's subsidiaries, PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), and PT Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT). PHI ensures the program operates in an integrated and sustainable manner.

PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) is part of Pertamina's Upstream Subholding, managing upstream oil and gas operations in Regional 3 Kalimantan by Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles to achieve its vision of becoming a world-class oil and gas company. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates working with SKK Migas, PHI implements innovative Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs in various sectors, including Economy, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Response, to support the achievement of the SDGs and realize #EnergiKalimantanUntukIndonesia. PHI's headquarters is in Jakarta. More information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.