Indonesia celebrated its 80th Independence Day with pride as two high school students from Papua stood shoulder to shoulder with President Prabowo Subianto as part of the elite national flag-raising troop, Pasukan Pengibar Bendera Pusaka (Paskibraka), at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Franciscus Sakfiris Pahabolisage, representing Papua Pegunungan Province, and Stincek Laramiapa, representing Papua Tengah Province, expressed their excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this historic event.
Franciscus shared his journey of rigorous selection process, from the district to the national level, highlighting the challenge of physical training which was new to him. Despite the initial shock of running on a big field and doing push-ups and sit-ups, he was thrilled to be part of the team and meet the President in person.
Stincek, on the other hand, conveyed her commitment to delivering her best performance during the flag-raising ceremony. She expressed her pride in representing her province and the sense of camaraderie developed among the Paskibraka team members from all 38 provinces during training. Though nervous about performing in front of the President, she was filled with joy and excitement for the opportunity earned through their hard work.
Both students showed their dedication and readiness to raise Indonesia’s national flag with honor and pride on the Independence Day.
