Preserve the Nation's Culture through the Siak Batik Festival

News24xx.com -

SIAK - The National Batik Day which is celebrated every October 2 and the 20th Anniversary of Siak Regency is a special moment for high school and Siak Kindergarten students. Dekranasda Siak together with PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) held various race activities related to making batik.

The Siak Batik Festival was opened by the Regent of Siak Alfedri, Wednesday (9/10/2019). The committee chose Taman Tengku Agung for the location of the activity. Participants seemed very enthusiastic about participating in the series of events that had started since morning. The Chairperson of the Siak Regency Dekranasda, Rasidah said, this activity was the Siak Batik Festival in order to preserve the nation's cultural heritage.

"This activity is in the context of introducing and promoting Siak batik to the wider community. Thank you to PT RAPP for distributing its CD program to Dekranasda Siak," Rasidah said.

She added, this event also introduced batik motifs to children of Paud age and high school students to preserve the nation's culture, especially Siak batik. There are a number of types of competitions, such as batik motif designs, mass batik making for students and paud children and fashion show competitions.

On the same occasion, PT RAPP's Stakeholder Relations (SHR) Manager, Syamsuria M Hasyim said that PT RAPP, which has 5 operating areas in Riau and one of them in Siak Regency, also has a Batik Mainstay House.

"Certainly the batik that has been carried out by the Mother of Family Welfare Development (PKK) in Siak Regency is also the same as what PT RAPP's Mainstay Batik House has been doing so far. For this reason, we strongly support the batik activities carried out by PKK Siak through the Siak Dekranasda," Syamsuria said. .

PT RAPP's flagship Batik House already has 28 batik craftsmen recruited from areas around PT RAPP's operational area. They are a local community from a weak economy and then, their economic life increases.

"Even some of these batik craftsmen are able to educate their children to graduate. With the concrete evidence we are ready to contribute and work together with the Dekranasda organization to help provide batik tools to craftsmen in Siak," he said again.

Not only that, PT RAPP can also provide venture capital assistance to batik artisans, especially those with good quality batik.

"We are also part of the community, so we will warmly welcome the wishes of batik makers in Siak to continue their business. Like what we have given to batik makers from Dayun Siak District," he said confidently many creative batik makers came from Siak Regency.

The Regent of Siak, Alfedri hopes that batik promotion activities are very good to be carried out sustainably. Because Siak has its own batik characteristics that are also not inferior to other regions of batik.

"Today's activity is part of upgrading and promoting Siak batik. If it is developed properly and correctly, it can improve the economy of the community. Moreover, if only 70 percent of Siak people wear batik, they will certainly greatly help craftsmen in increasing their production," Alfedri said. (Release)