Sultan on hand for rice harvest in quake-hit Bantul

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 07/03/2006 4:35 PM

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Bantul

Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X cut stalks of paddy Sunday in Bantul as he expressed hope the first harvest since the May 27 earthquake would help local farming communities rebuild their lives.

Over 5,700 people were killed and 200,000 lost their homes in the quake that struck Yogyakarta and parts of Central Java.

Antara news agency reported from Sribit hamlet in Bambanglipuro district that the sultan also urged people to do their part in the reconstruction.

""For instance, people could make their own bricks,"" he said.

However, he noted the soaring price of materials, such as bamboo, which was Rp 5,000 (about 50 U.S. cents) per stalk in Yogyakarta before the quake, but now cost Rp 10,000.

The sultan said he had ordered cheaper bamboo from East Java, usually priced at Rp 3,000 per stalk, but which had jumped to Rp 15,000 at the time his administration placed the order.

He also asked people not to be envious of neighbors who lost their homes and received better constructed structures as replacements.

""What's important is to refrain from getting provoked ... We need to stay united ... and revive ourselves,"" he said.

Survivors praised the work of volunteers, who arrive in trucks dressed in old shirts and sandals to clear debris and build new houses, for allowing them to save on the costs of reconstruction.

""They are really helpful, I can't thank them enough,"" said Adrianto of Imogiri in Bantul, who is now living in a home made of bamboo and wood.

""They brought their own tools, even their own food. They have helped us, and we can't give them anything in return.""

On Sunday, the sultan also was asked about the fate of children after many schools were damaged or destroyed by the temblor.

He advised that schools arrange sessions in shifts if the government assistance was only enough to build three classrooms.

-- With additional reporting by Slamet Susanto in Bantul.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.