Pekalongan, 12 October 2025 — As an effort to improve public understanding and access to various social protection programs and basic health services, DFW Indonesia, through the PROSPER Program (Protecting Rural & Ocean-dependent Societies through Participatory Economic Resilience), organized the “Social Protection Week – Joint Health Day” event on October 11–12, 2025, in Pecakaran and Api-Api Villages, Wonokerto District, Pekalongan Regency. This event is part of the PROSPER Program framework, which aims to educate the public about the types of social protection programs in the health sector and how to access them. This is one of the strategic steps of the program to strengthen the resilience of coastal communities against the impacts of climate change. Through this activity, the community is expected to understand the various forms of available social protection and know how to access them independently.
The Social Protection Week – Joint Health Day event received a warm welcome from the community. Attendees got free health check services facilitated by healthcare workers from the Wonokerto Community Health Center (or known as Puskesmas). The health checks included blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol screenings, and general health consultations. Additionally, villagers came for direct consultations at the booths of the Pekalongan Regency Public Health Office and BPJS of Employment, which were among the main attractions of the event. The event was attended by various stakeholders, including government representatives, public service agencies, and civil society organizations.
DFW Indonesia Project Coordinator, Nabiyya Perennia, stated that the purpose of this activity is to provide education and improve access to social security and health services for coastal communities in Pekalongan. “This activity shows that an educational approach combined with direct services can provide real and long-term benefits for rural communities,” said Nabiyya.
In addition, cross-sector collaboration between NGOs, local government, and social service agencies is expected to continue strengthening so that all layers of society can access social protection in the health sector fairly and inclusively.
A representative from the Pekalongan Public Health Office, Mochamad Supriyadi, said this activity was very positive and beneficial for village communities. “Activities like this are very helpful for the Wonokerto Community Health Center and the Pekalongan Regency Public Health Office in expanding outreach and health services, especially to those who have had difficulty accessing direct medical facilities,” said Supriyadi. Such collaborative activities align with the vision of the Pekalongan Public Health Office to encourage people to care more about their health and to routinely undergo basic checkups.
Meanwhile, the Village Head of Pecakaran, Tarjuki, also expressed his appreciation for the implementation of the Joint Health Day in his village. He stated that this activity is very useful for the community, especially for the elderly who have difficulty accessing health services outside the village.
“Through the Joint Health Day activity, people can not only get free health checkups but also receive direct information about social security and health services from official institutions,” said Tarjuki. He hopes the community will make the most of this opportunity, as the presence of BPJS of Employment and the public health office is a vital moment to broaden awareness and increase understanding of the importance of social protection and family health.
During the event, the Pekalongan Public Health Office booth provided educational services on healthy lifestyles, the prevention of non-communicable diseases, and information about the National Health Insurance. Public Health Office staff assisted residents in checking their National Health Insurance membership status, provided registration guidance for new members, and explained the procedures for using health services at primary and referral healthcare facilities. Many residents used this opportunity to ask about issues related to their membership and received direct solutions from competent officers. Meanwhile, the BPJS of Employment booth provided education on the benefits and social protection programs for both formal and informal workers and offered direct consultation services for those who wished to register or obtain more information about the employment social security programs.
Gigih Waluyo from the Pekalongan BPJS of Employment Branch Office used this opportunity to explain the various benefits of the protection programs for workers. Gigih introduced the five main programs of BPJS of Employment such as, Work Accident Insurance (known as Jaminan Kecelakaan Kerja or JKK), Death Insurance (known as Jaminan Kematian or JKM), Old-Age Security (known as Jaminan Hari Tua or JHT), Pension Insurance (known as Jaminan Pensiun or JP), and Job Loss Insurance (known as Jaminan Kehilangan Pekerjaan or JKP). He emphasized that these five programs are designed to protect workers from various social and economic risks that can occur at any time. He also explained the Perisai Program (Penggerak Jaminan Sosial Indonesia), aimed at informal workers such as fishers, traders, and day laborers, to ensure they still have access to social protection.
“Activities like those carried out by DFW Indonesia are extremely helpful in educating the public about their social security rights while also strengthening the synergy between government agencies and civil society organizations,” said Gigih.
Public enthusiasm was very high, as seen from the active participation of residents who not only took part in the health checks but also engaged directly with officers from the Public Health Office and BPJS of Employment. Attendees came from a variety of professional backgrounds, including housewives, students, fishers, fish traders, entrepreneurs, and informal sector workers such as fishing laborers, fish pond workers, garment workers, and batik artisans.
The cross-sector collaboration between village government, health institutions, and civil society organizations was the key to the success of this event. This proves that collaborative approaches can help strengthen more adaptive social protection for communities facing the vulnerabilities brought on by climate change.
