The Regent of Luwu, H. Patahudding, S.Ag., officially launched the Jaga Desa (Village Care) Program during the FORDES Matappa Strengthening and Jaga Desa Program event, held through a collaboration between the Luwu Regency Government and PT Masmindo Dwi Area (MDA) on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

The event was attended by representatives of the Luwu Regency Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), the Investment Acceleration Working Group, sub-district heads, village and urban village heads, FORDES Matappa leaders and members from 21 villages within the operational area, academics, prospective participants of the Manpower Office’s vocational training program, and various other stakeholders.

On the same occasion, the Luwu Regency Government and MDA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on institutional strengthening and community welfare improvement for villages located along the mining mobilization route.

The launch of the Jaga Desa Program marks part of the effort to strengthen FORDES Matappa, which since November 2025 has served as a platform for village communities to convey their needs, aspirations, and development proposals in a more structured manner. Through this forum, numerous community aspirations have been collected and are being jointly followed up by the Luwu Regency Government and MDA.

The Jaga Desa Program is a direct follow-up to various community aspirations gathered through FORDES Matappa. The program is implemented through three main pillars: Safeguarding Village Stability, Safeguarding the Village Future, and Safeguarding Village Safety.

Under the Safeguarding Village Stability pillar, the program focuses on strengthening FORDES Matappa as a community aspiration forum, conducting regular Sirampun (community dialogue forums), establishing Integrated Monitoring Posts, implementing labor-intensive programs, carrying out tree-planting activities, and enhancing the role of Village Mobilization Monitoring Cadres across operational-area villages.

Meanwhile, under the Safeguarding the Village Future pillar, MDA and the Luwu Regency Government will launch a vocational training program for 90 young men and women from 21 villages. Scheduled to begin on June 8, 2026, the program covers five training areas: Air Conditioning Technician, Automotive Mechanic, Electrical Technician, Cook Assistant, and Housekeeping.

The Safeguarding the Village Future pillar is designed to strengthen human resource capacity and promote community economic independence through vocational training, competency certification, internship opportunities, business mentoring, and MSME empowerment programs.

For the Safeguarding Village Safety pillar, MDA is once again partnering with the Center for Mapping and Disaster Studies (PUSPENA) of Cokroaminoto University of Palopo (UNCP) and the Luwu Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) to strengthen the Disaster-Resilient Village Program (DESTANA). Activities include disaster preparedness training, regular simulation exercises, strengthening emergency response posts, and enhancing community readiness to face various disaster risks.

The Regent of Luwu, H. Patahudding, stated, “FORDES Matappa has demonstrated that community aspirations can become the foundation for programs that bring tangible benefits to villages. Therefore, I fully support the strengthening of this forum so that it can play an even greater role in overseeing development and community empowerment.

I invite all parties to continue maintaining this collaboration. Let us jointly support the Jaga Desa Program and the ongoing investment process so that operations can commence soon and generate broader benefits for the people of Luwu Regency.”

MDA President Director, Trisakti Simorangkir, said that the Jaga Desa Program reflects the company’s commitment to continuously improve its approach to designing and implementing community empowerment initiatives.

“In the past, many programs were designed from the company’s perspective and then introduced to the community. Today, we are striving to reverse that approach. We begin by listening to community aspirations and then work together to translate them into actionable programs.

FORDES Matappa helps us listen more before taking action, understand more deeply before making decisions, and develop programs based on the actual needs felt by village communities. The Jaga Desa Program emerged from this process. It is not a program created by the company for the community; rather, it is a program that grew from community aspirations and is jointly supported by the Luwu Regency Government and MDA,” said Trisakti.

The Head of the Luwu District Attorney’s Office, Muhandas Ulimen, emphasized that the success of FORDES Matappa and the Jaga Desa Program depends greatly on the ability of all stakeholders to build synergy and place community interests as a shared objective.

“The public interest must take precedence over group or individual interests. The Prosecutor’s Office is ready to provide legal oversight and legal certainty to ensure that investment in Luwu Regency can grow and develop properly while delivering benefits to the community,” said Muhandas Ulimen.

Meanwhile, Luwu Police Chief AKBP Adnan Pandibu expressed hope that the benefits of the Jaga Desa Program would be genuinely felt by the community.

“FORDES Matappa must have the courage to take the lead in overseeing the implementation of programs that have been mutually agreed upon, while also serving as a bridge of communication between the community, the government, and the company,” said Adnan Pandibu.

Through the Jaga Desa Program, the Luwu Regency Government and MDA hope to further strengthen collaboration among communities, local government, and the company, ensuring that development and community empowerment programs are implemented in a more focused, effective, and sustainable manner.