West Java Children's Cultural Festival Celebrates National Children's Day 2026

West Java Province's Department of Women Empowerment, Child Protection, and Family Planning (DP3AKB) successfully hosted the 2026 West Java Provincial National Children's Day (HAN) commemoration. The festival, titled 'Ngamumule Budaya Sunda, Ngawangun Generasi Emas' (Preserving Sundanese Culture, Building a Golden Generation), took place at the Dago Tea House's Closed Theater in Bandung City on Friday, July 31, 2026.

Siska Gerfianti, Head of DP3AKB West Java, stated that the event served as a crucial moment to strengthen the commitment of all stakeholders in fulfilling children's rights and fostering a love for regional culture among the youth. The HAN 2026 activities commenced with a Sundanese, Arabic, and English speech competition involving 1,381 participants, alongside an advocacy webinar and child rights socialization through the 'Ngopi Sahabat Goes to School' program, which engaged over 1,000 children.

The festivities also included competitions in Merak dance, Pencak Silat, Ngawih Pupuh, and event hosting, drawing 774 participants. The culmination was the main National Children's Day event, attended by 893 child representatives from 27 regencies and cities across West Java, spanning from early childhood education to high school levels. The main event featured the inauguration of the West Java Regional Children's Forum for the 2026-2028 period and the reading of the 'Voice of the Child,' which conveyed children's aspirations and hopes to government, families, schools, communities, and businesses for a child-friendly environment free from violence, supporting optimal child development.

Performances of cultural arts from various regencies and cities, the grand finale of the West Java Children's Cultural Creation Festival, and award ceremonies recognized the creativity and achievements of West Java's children. Siska emphasized that children are strategic national assets who must grow in safe, healthy, happy, and loving environments. The West Java Provincial Government is committed to policies and programs prioritizing children's best interests to nurture intelligent, character-driven, cultured generations ready for Indonesia's Golden Era in 2045. "The West Java Children's Cultural Creation Festival is a tangible form of providing participatory space for children while striving to preserve Sundanese culture through the creativity of the younger generation," she said. Siska added that the festival serves as a platform for character education, local cultural preservation, and a space for children to express themselves, participate, and develop their potential positively. She expressed hope that through the spirit of preserving Sundanese culture and building a golden generation, all children in West Java will gain confidence in developing their potential, actively participate in development, and become the successor generation capable of leading West Java forward.