JAKARTA - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon emphasized that the designation of Indonesia's Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTb) should not stop at administrative affairs or the ceremony of handing over certificates. The government is now "pressing the gas" to make WBTb as a driving force for creative economy in the region.
In a meeting to prepare the WBTb program at the E Building of the Ministry of Culture, Jakarta, Tuesday (13/1), Fadli Zon emphasized the importance of changing the paradigm towards cultural heritage. According to him, the status of WBTb must provide real added value for the wider community.
Transforming Heritage into Economic Value
Fadli Zon highlighted that there are many cultural potentials, such as gastronomy and performing arts, which have tremendous appeal if packaged properly.
"If gastronomy or art performances are packaged as WBTb, the public sees it differently. It's not just a spectacle or ordinary food, but a valuable heritage," said Fadli. With this rebranding, local cultural products are expected to have a higher selling value and attract tourists and investors.
Post-Determination Challenge: Don't Let Suri Die
One of the sharp criticisms made by the Minister of Culture is the weak continuity of the program after a culture is designated as WBTb. Often, after obtaining this status, there is no concrete follow-up in the field.
To overcome this, Fadli encourages several strategic steps:
Institutionalization of Knowledge: Ensuring knowledge about the tradition remains alive and is taught down the generations.
Digital Documentation: Requiring strong documentation through digital platforms, websites, high-quality photos, and videos so that data is not scattered.
Ecosystem Development: WBTb must have a supporting ecosystem to remain sustainable independently.
"Hulu to Hilir" collaboration
This acceleration cannot be done by the center alone. Fadli Zon called for cross-agency collaboration involving:
Cultural Preservation Hall in the area.
Cultural Community as the front line.
Higher Education for scientific studies.
Local Government for policy implementation in the field.
In line with this, Pudentia MPSS, Member of the Indonesian WBTb Expert Team, added that the main focus at this time is not only to preserve traditions so that they do not disappear, but to keep them relevant and "alive" in the midst of modern society.
Conclusion The Ministry of Culture's target this year is quite ambitious: significantly increasing the number and quality of WBTb designations. This is done so that the recognition of the state of cultural wealth is really felt by the local community, not just as a note on paper.
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