Drs. JOSEPH TOTE, MSi.

Regent of East Manggarai

Dreaming Be Bali the Second

Successes no seldom begin of a dream. Maybe it is in mind Drs. Joseph Tote Msi., Regent of East Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara Province.

Dream to make his territory as a second Bali, well-grounded. As the matter of fact, East Manggarai Region natural owned also no less than Bali. From culture aspect, East Manggarai has a cultural traditions high as well as laden meaning. Still graduated from Universitas Gadjah Mada it’s realized that conjure up his territory become like Bali, is not as easily as flips palms. The long process needed. The most difficult homework of him is to change point of view pattern of his society set off from agricultural society to become culture and tourist oriented society. Without shall be regardless that agriculture. Because of both have a sinergy.

The former Head of the Ministry of Cultural and Tourism Manggarai Regency (before expansion) realized that, the only way to change point of view is through education starting from the family, and then school and neighborhood.

Through the education at elementary school and junior secondary school, the politician of party golkar implanting of understanding learners through granting of mulok curriculum. And preparing mulok curricula for senior high school, by now. For the colleges level, Regent East Manggarai that will be lay off on 2013 wishing able to establish a tourism college in his territory. Could he realizing his dream, as the period of his rule the region have not much longer? Joseph just surrenders. He believes in God. When God have an intention then there is no impossible. However, if God have other intention, at least he has been put foundation development that sturdily enough to build the future of East Manggarai.

What dreams he want to realize through culture and tourism sector? He was interviewed by Sapto Adiwiloso  from JN Guide at Borong early last July.

How did you see potential tourism and cultural at East Manggarai Region?

The potential tourism and culture in the East Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, generally there are five. The First, Agriculture. Special this is an area of commodities. There are agriculture, wet rice field, and dry farming.

To the dry farming, county are often utilizing as comodities. Whereas, wet agriculture that has been served 14.000 hectares. There are more than 30.000 hectares un-utilized.

The Second, potential energy. We use that term for covering potential water, to deal with the electic energy. For that we have done intervention. From this area, more than 1000 householders is coverage electric power of water. PLBS supported by the central government, in addition.

The third, the potential of fisheries and marine. It’s also having our intervention. We have already supported peasants and fishermen throughout the region. We also reorganized specialty education for intervene fisheries and marine sector in East Manggarai region.

The Fourth, the potential of forest. Forest is in this region, we expected can welfare society. Patterns that have been developed in Indonesia also have we do in East Manggarai.

The Fifth, the potential tourism and culture. The potential is quite promises. Many potential seeded can developed in the area. The one is, existence Komodo dragon Rugu (Rugu is the local name. There are also calling Mbou). After the research had done, it’s proved that the DNA is equal to the Komodo dragon existing in Rinca Island and Komodo Island at West Manggarai.

Equal in length, only they have a big difference. If in the East Manggarai rather slender, 3-4 meters in length’s but large body different. Perhaps it’s because of natural influences. Besides, at the same location, also there lotus ogres. There only two in the world, one is in India, and the other one is in Pota, East Manggarai.

There is many more object in the territory of Borong as the central county East Manggarai. Such as Liang Bala, Pasir Putih, Batu Biru, Taman Laut Mbalata, also it earlier mentioned is Batu Susu Rongga.

Have you ever do research on Batu Susu Rongga? What the result of research?

The stone have historical and myth. When I was served as a head of county research and development that was before Manggarai Regency expanded be West and the East.

And the story is, In Manggarai there is only one kingdom centered in Todo. Some big wings desirous to stay afloat, included in the Komba. Komba is the central ethnic Rongga. Whereas, Komba has taken from the name of a figure ethnic locals, so that hill to their residence named Komba Hill.

Komba Hill overrun brothers of one figure ethnic Rongga. The oldest son named Meka Komba. His brother named Leke Lalu Nanggo. The name of Nanggo then fit in a fort. The name is Fortress Nanggo.

There is also their brother named Meka Lando. He then known as an architect Rongga’s tribe (time’s before Dutch entered into Indonesia).

Till now his name is known as architect traditional home ethnic Rongga. Until now poles in the middle of the ethnic Rongga named Timbu Lando (soko guru). Efforts were made to the memory of the traditional architect.

Still in Komba areas, there is a Batu Susu Rongga. Once, people of ethnic Rongga attacked by the royal Todo. The leader is Anandeo. It conquered without bloodshed, but with cultural approach.

Then troops Todo take to dancing Vera dance. After drift off, ahead noon enemy troop was under siege, then surrender them. Tribute as provide Nggong Molas Komba that submitted in Wira Riwu.

It also tambor, gendang, and rajong. Tributes that last mentioned used as the name of kedaluan (hamentee), or as the village.

Most Watu Susu Rongga located in the Narang nearby center of the royal Todo. In 2007, when served as Head of County Reseach and Development Manggarai Regency I did research on Komba, we found it.

Based upon the research that we did, there is a historical why partly stones sited in Narang around Todo. Name of the village Riwu taken from one’s name that help the Todo troops, his name was Riwu. Although there were no longer relics house in hometown Riwu, but the name of the hometown is still there.

Because of it Watu Susu Rongga has story of human that disobedient principle. As it is prohibition may not looked behind. However ban it infringed upon. As soon as turned it be stone.

That’s history Watu Susu Rongga. Whereabouts the stone exist only in East Manggarai, no in other places, even in the world. In Poco Ndeki, still at the District of Komba there is a kind of stone resembling venereal male and female. Its name is Watu Embu.

The stone existence has already blown up in the locals newspaper.

Seem likely they did not follow the rules applied in the people’s lives in those days. Incidentally at the same time earth quake happened.

The couple had been reminded not to look back, but ban it infringed, then become a pair of stone resembling genitals male named Watu Embu Kodi Haki and female or Watu Embu Kodi Fai. Ascent toward the top of Poko Ndeki begun from Kampong Sere in Sub District Tanah Rata, is 11 kilometers of Borong.

From where concentration of development in the cultural and tourism in this region will be started?

Today the Government of East Manggarai concentrate the development of cultural and tourism of Cepi Watu Beach, because it beauty like Kuta in Bali, and during holiday this flooded by many tourist. So we concentrate do revamping and ratification start from that beach.

We shall develop on few spot like in Pota, in Lambaleda with the Gua Cingcoleng. Then, in the territory Elar of Rajong and forth.

How do you build cultural sector as inner selves of this County?

The Government of East Manggarai builds on a field named Satar Lehong. It is still at the center of The County Capital East Manggarai. There we also establishing the office for the rank of executive, even now almost complete. We also constructed buildings for ranks of legislature and judiciary.

It’s from housing; we had built more than 150 houses for government employee, also make revamping educational institutions in it. Shop house also built. So that, this region shapes as people of Manggarai village, round shape.

We will also developing territory of cultural tour in 12 kedaluan (hamentee) there are in the territory of East Manggarai. We’d like to review symbols of kedaluan in the past, and adapted to the conditions of this time.

One of the target developments is putting down the basis of the character of Manggarai society. At the time of kedaluan, the government officials are still be hereditary. It was done order to maintain the stability of safety.

The condition has changed in accordance with the demands. Therefore lying of association of the character of people become important in the future. So besides, developing 12 kedaluan we also apply wajar (a compulsory) 12 years education.

Today, the numbers of Senior Secondary School on 2009 are 11. At 2012 increased to 32. Whereas, Junior Secondary School from 50 have got to be 106, by now.

At once, the conditions are to answer the development of the character of people here. We began from formal education, so later, expected to those who received elementary education or higher may partake as well as maintain, preserve, the values of sublime implanted umpteen hundred years ago, now, that has become fade.

In the Elementary and Junior Secondary School, we have made mulok curricula. Now, the program had been implemented. Even as, I shook the Chief of Ministry of Education and Culture, mulok have been implemented for High Scool, Madrasah Aliyah (MA) and Vocational.

So later, grow and developing the good habit of ancestors, and develop into good and cultured Manggarais and Indonesians as well as the world. Because later, they also be developed according universal demands. Once again, this hopes of us. From the five sectors, good opportunities are from the agriculture and tourism.

How do you sustained efforts to programs?

We have been put the basic. First, symbols that it was developed. Institution of education also have prepared that is Elementary and Junior Secondary School. Then material we also have given in Elementary and Junior Secondary School. Whereas, at the level of Senior Secondary School is in our prepare.

It other to us prepare revamping is the teachers. And when the society is no longer elected me and my deputy, the important thing is the foundation placing in good. So, expected to remain sustainable on the relay leadership in the system of sustained government (reneable development).

We also have asked to Development Planning Board to make RPJPD (the long term of the Region Development), so that the program have been therein.

What are the constraint in developing cultural and tourism in East Manggarai?

First obstacle is infrastructural, especially streets. We will also develop infrastructure are there in the objects of it. But still the constrained is in capital. At the beginning, we have already given the funds to constructing roads in attractions.

Another obstacle are people as well as the rank of government assume that this sector is less important to develop. Because it’s our expectation, service relevant strive to do systematic program to the development in the county. We finished the point of development of throughout the region. From here on shall continue to develop.  

We also wanted to develop culture based-tourism. As we develop through people East Manggarai hometown concept which serve as the central government. At once may also as the object of tourism, I associate with 12 kedaluan. From where, we build characteristics of people of East Manggarai. After the new described the values of this is in the draft.

Then to preserve it shall be accompanied by the educational institution with the quality guaranteed to the future. That’s our hopes. And the first five years, we want to put the good basis on this.

How does connecting destination tourism points so that easily to reach?

The step been done is we interlace with Airlangga University like the development of potential tourism and culture in Lamongan. The development center of tourist objects in North will be focused in Pota. From this year, we cooperating with Ministry of Education and Culture so will connect it later. But still, control of the development is in local government, operationally is the related Agency.

Through these developments will also interlace cooperation with private parties as Swisscontact. We hope in the near future there had been training together with the Swisscontact, so that tourist objects in the northern and southern become a unity.

 In the near future, we will build an airport in Tanjung Bendera. We have been build runways 3500 meters long. With built the airport, such our hope East Manggarai could be Bali the second.

To access toward Pota also need a kind of Twin Otter of the airport to pot. There have been set up  75 acres that can be based. It’s a means of road from the center of the capital will exposed through some tourist objects.

With the developing, it expected there will be economic growth, such as market, we will also build at those points. Many tourist objects in the central territory, such as Mukun, can impassable by road.

In the territory of northern coast, there is lake named Rana Kulan. Lake is also on the point of way toward Pota. There is also Betong Liwa, Hot Spring Rana Masak. There is Lake Rana Mese residing in the country road between Ruteng and Borong.

As for the mean of infrastructural, we have prepared a place in the center of the region or at the scene alligator, and giant lotus. That’s all are existing in our master plan.

How about the process of permitting has been undertaken within one-stop system?

From 80 permitting already issued the Agency of Permitting Service, 10 percent have issued by us relating tourism and culture sectors. But it has not been optimal. Later, escorted to conjunction with the peoples in the area. That’s our hopes.

Do the Region Government also ease the process of investments in this sector?

We promise not miffiest complicates. In fact, we give wide opportunity for LSM, encourage enterprise engaged n tourism.  And we assure affairs not winding. Because, we need promotion of tourism objects in this region.

How do development in the economics of creative sector?

It is often we made proposal to Central Government. Hopes there is a kind of home industry in Cepi Watu to empower people who are around the beach, so that later could be the local promotion potential craft, as weaving.

Weaving East Manggarai have own motives. There are still needs to modified that have competitiveness by weaving from another county.

Therefore, we plan to centralize weaving craft industry in surrounding Cepi Watu Beach. We will also build art shop to sell woven typical East Manggarai.

It’s our hopes, so, tourism sector is one of the sectors that can give real contributions to the people in this area. We are more likely to say, lest it honey that there is herein pulled out. We do not want to such Labuan Bajo, a lot of hotels managed outsiders (foreigners)

Since early, our plan is this, so expected to give benefits for both the local people and the businessman of outer. So, with the development of this sector, society prospers. So capital flight not augmented.

If a lot of capital flight, then we think is as failure. We expect East Manggarai shall be like Bali.

Therefore we want to mulok shall firm, so anyone who came, our society undeterred foreign culture. We have inner selves as East Manggarai society, or as Indonesian who admitted diversified in the frame of Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia (NKRI).**