Gibran checks MBG food quality, school facilities on NTT visit

Ende, NTT (ANTARA) - Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka visited a school in Ende District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on Thursday to conduct a firsthand review of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.

ANTARA observed that he conversed with teachers at Public Junior High School 1 Ndona while watching children savor meals served under the national priority program.

Gibran checked whether the meals were served warm and cautioned that a stretched time frame between cooking and service could adversely affect food quality.

Since launching in January 2025, the program has reached around 63 million schoolchildren, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children under five nationwide, supported by more than 27,000 MBG kitchens.

Apart from the MBG program, the vice president also scrutinized school facilities, pointing to the lack of lighting in classrooms.

He called for immediate measures to improve the school’s conditions to provide a better learning environment for local children.

His school visit forms part of his official trip to NTT, Gorontalo, West Papua, Central Papua, and South Papua provinces from June 18 to 21.

From NTT, Gibran is scheduled to travel to Gorontalo to attend and launch the National Farmers and Fishermen Week (PENAS) XVII and inspect the Bulango Ulu Dam to ensure the strategic infrastructure functions optimally to support regional food security and community welfare.

The tour will then continue in West Papua, where he is set to visit a cocoa production center in South Manokwari District and open the National Church Choir Festival XIV in Manokwari District.

Furthermore, the vice president will travel to Asmat District in South Papua to view several public facilities, including the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress, a field school, a regional general hospital, and a Catholic church.

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Translator: Prisca T, Tegar Nurfitra

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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