Pendopo Pate Alos Brought Back to Life as a Cultural Public Space

JAKARTA - Cultural preservation is an important step in maintaining the nation's identity while ensuring that historical heritage remains relevant for the lives of today's society.

One of the efforts undertaken is to revive historic buildings so that they can be used sustainably as public spaces, education centers, and cultural activities.

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon inaugurated the Pate Alos Pavilion in Besuki District, Situbondo Regency, East Java, Sunday, January 25. This inauguration marks the re-use of the historic building after revitalization as part of efforts to protect and develop cultural heritage.

The Pate Alos Pavilion is a colonial-era building that was previously known as the Besuki Neighborhood. After being revitalized, this building is used as a cultural-based public space that can be accessed by the general public.

"Culture is not only protected, but also needs to be developed and utilized sustainably," said Fadli in his remarks.

He emphasized that the advancement of culture is a constitutional mandate as stated in Article 32 paragraph 1 of the 1945 Constitution. According to him, historical buildings that have been revitalized have great potential to be developed as cultural centers, education centers, and learning spaces for the community.

Fadli explained that the Besuki area has a strong historical value. The Pate Alos pavilion witnessed Besuki's journey as an administrative center during the colonial era. Therefore, the revitalization process is not only interpreted as the physical improvement of the building alone.

"This revitalization aims to keep the historical heritage alive and well-maintained for current and future generations," he said.

He also conveyed the commitment of the Ministry of Culture to accelerate the process of registering national cultural heritages. In addition, his party encourages the development of Pate Alos Pavilion as a museum that records the history of Karesidenan Besuki, which in the past includes five district areas.

According to Fadli, the existence of the Pate Alos Pavilion is expected to be an inclusive public space, a cultural activity center, and a cultural tourism destination. The utilization is expected to also encourage the growth of creative economy and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) around the area.

The Regent of Situbondo, Yusuf Rio Wahyu Prayogo, conveyed that the inauguration of the Pate Alos Pavilion was a form of real support for efforts to preserve and revive historical heritage in Situbondo Regency.

The inauguration was also attended by Deputy Regent of Situbondo Ulfiyah, Deputy Regent of Probolinggo Fahmi Abdul Haq Zaini, Chairman of the Situbondo DPRD Mahbub Junaidi, regional government officials, as well as community and cultural community leaders.

The Minister of Culture was also accompanied by the Special Staff of the Minister for History and Protection of Cultural Heritage Basuki Teguh Yuwono, Director of Bina Kepercayaan to God Almighty Sjamsul Hadi, and Head of the East Java XI Regional Cultural Preservation Center Endah Budi Heryani.