PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Bandung City Government is addressing poverty through social assistance, health services, labor-intensive programs, and food programs to ease the burden on residents.

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan conveyed this when reviewing the distribution of food aid in Central Antapani (27/8/2026).

Farhan said the central government's rice assistance was one of the interventions to reduce the expenses of vulnerable communities.

The Bandung City Government complements this with social assistance, Rice ATMs, labor-intensive programs, and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) services.

"Tackling poverty isn't just about food aid. There's social assistance from the Social Services Agency, rice cash assistance from the Food Security and Agriculture Agency, labor-intensive programs from the Manpower Agency, and healthcare services through Universal Health Coverage," he said.

According to Farhan, access to healthcare helps prevent medical expenses from becoming a heavy burden for low-income families.

Therefore, the Bandung City Government maintains the sustainability of UHC so that residents can continue to receive health services without the pressure of large costs.

The participation of Bandung City residents in the Social Security Administration (BPJS) Health has now reached more than 90 percent.

The participant activity rate has also been above 82 percent as part of the UHC program sustainability requirements.

"Participation and active participation are essential requirements for maintaining the UHC program. We continue to strive to meet funding needs so that all citizens continue to have access to healthcare services," he said.

The UHC budget requirement for Bandung City reaches around IDR 360 billion to ensure continued access to public health services.

Some of the budget needs have been met, while the Bandung City Government is still seeking additional funding sources to cover the financing shortfall.

"God willing, this need will be met because it will be of great benefit to the community," he said.

Farhan believes that BPJS Kesehatan functions as social protection because medical costs can push vulnerable families further away from a secure economic situation.

"For me, BPJS Kesehatan is a very important tool in addressing poverty. It's a form of social and financial engineering that has tremendous social value," he said.

In addition to health protection, labor-intensive programs provide income opportunities for residents while helping maintain people's purchasing power.

This series of programs shows that poverty management in Bandung City is directed at fulfilling basic needs and strengthening the economic capabilities of residents.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/bhf)