Kutai Kartanegara – PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), in collaboration with the Handil Terusan Village Forest Management Institute (LPHD) and the Handil Terusan Village Government, held an Ecotourism Management Training at the Handil Terusan Village Community Hall, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, on August 21, 2025. The training, themed “Enhancing Ecotourism Management Capacity,” was attended by 30 participants from LPHD Handil Terusan and the Bekantan Hanter Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS).

LPHD Handil Terusan was formally established through a decree issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry No. SK.7587/MENLHK-PSKL/PKPS/SPL.0/11/2021, which provided a legal basis for the local community to manage the production forest area on Pulau Terusan. Optimizing the area’s potential required proper skills and management to ensure that ecotourism initiatives could be developed professionally, sustainably, and deliver economic, social, and environmental benefits to the local community.

The training featured expert speakers from the Kutai Kartanegara Tourism Office, KPHP Delta Mahakam, and the Pokdarwis Pesona Pangempang Tourism Group. The opening session was delivered by Antoni Kusbiantoro, Head of Tourism Human Resource Development and Creative Economy, who provided insights into the definition of ecotourism, management strategies, and methods for identifying local tourism potential that could be developed into leading ecotourism packages. The next session was presented by Diah Mustika, a facilitator from KPHP Delta Mahakam, who discussed the ecological benefits of mangrove ecosystems and strategies for utilizing them in environmentally based tourism development.

To provide practical insights, Mansur from Pokdarwis Pesona Pangempang shared his experience in managing coastal tourism in Pangempang, Muara Badak, an area with geographical similarities to Pulau Terusan. He was joined by his team, Nurul Fatihah (Secretary of Pokdarwis Pesona Pangempang and 2025 Kutai Kartanegara Youth Pioneer), Misna (KUPS Wanita Mutiara Hanter and 2025 Kutai Kartanegara Creative Youth), and M. Fachriah Akhbar (Pokdarwis Pesona Pangempang), who provided motivation and strategies for promoting tourism through social media content.

Elis Fauziyah, Head of Communication Relations & CID for Zona 9, emphasized the Company’s commitment to implementing Corporate Social Responsibility programs that strengthen community capacity and independence. “We apply social and environmental innovations in the Company’s CID programs, tailored to local potential, so they can provide sustainable solutions to community challenges, as demonstrated through this program,” Elis said.

According to Elis, the area has significant potential, including rich biodiversity, the presence of endemic species such as proboscis monkeys, and natural landscapes that could be developed into ecotourism attractions through activities such as trekking and river tours. “This Ecotourism Management Training was part of the Handil Terusan Village Economic, Social, and Tourism Development Program (Pesona Hanter), initiated by PHSS to support social forestry initiatives and ensure productive and sustainable use of village forest resources,” she explained.

Elis also noted that PHSS actively facilitated the entire training process, including planning, funding, and providing trainers and speakers. The activity reflected the Company’s commitment to supporting community capacity building, fostering professional ecotourism management systems, and strengthening Pulau Terusan’s position as a leading ecotourism destination that brings sustainable benefits to the Handil Terusan community.

The training was met with enthusiasm from participants. One of the participants, Eka Kumala Sari, expressed her gratitude: “I am very thankful to PHSS for organizing this event. I was inspired to become an ecotourism pioneer in my area after this training. I hope more activities like this will continue to raise community awareness about the importance of protecting the environment,” she said.

Appreciation also came from the local government. “We welcome and appreciate the ecotourism training initiated by PHSS. Hopefully, in the future we can continue to collaborate to improve tourism in Kutai Kartanegara,” said Antoni Kusbiantoro from the Kutai Kartanegara Tourism.

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