THE NAME is Mayangan Village, Legonkulon District, Subang Regency. This village has a famous tourist destination, Pondok Bali Beach, the Pantura coast with its own magnetic power. Mayangan is busy every weekend, enjoying the beach while fishing or just eating seafood in small restaurants, which has long been an economic source for Mayangan residents.
But who would have thought, behind the famous beach tourist area in Mayangan, there is a story of the struggle of the villagers, who are fighting to save the only home they have. Over the past decades, Mayangan residents have felt the devastating impact of abrasion on their homeland.
Previously, this village was known as a pond village with abundant marine resources of fish and shrimp. However, in the last 20 years, Mayangan has changed drastically into a village that almost sank due to prolonged floods.
The Village Head, Mayangan Darto, said that his village had lost more than half of the village area due to erosion. “Hundreds of hectares of pond land and residents’ land, including houses and several other buildings, were submerged due to abrasion and tidal flooding,” said Darto.
In fact, according to Darto, Bird Island, which is to the west of Pondok Bali Beach, was once a unified land mass. But now, Bird Island is more than 1.5 kilometers apart from Pondok Bali Beach. “The land has been hit by abrasion for years until today,” said Darto.
EIGER Adventure, a brand providing outdoor equipment from Bandung, has stopped by several times to connect with Mayangan residents. Several months ago, EIGER stopped by Mayangan, working together with residents to plant 10,000 mangrove seedlings to prevent abrasion.
“The initiative to plant mangroves in Mayangan has become a collective movement, with the aim of protecting the village from increasingly severe abrasion. In collaboration with the Wanadri Foundation, Mayangan residents also formed the Siaga Pesisir Utara (Siput) group, a group of young village people tasked with monitoring mangrove planting and maintenance. “Even education on seeding and planting mangroves for all village residents,” said Darto.
Saturday (12/10) EIGER stopped by Mayangan again, this time the agenda was different. EIGER invited hundreds of Mayangan residents to attend a joint viewing event (nobar) of a documentary film specially recorded by EIGER, telling the story of the struggle of Mayangan residents in protecting their village.
EIGER Brand Communication Strategist Mohammad Zakiy Zulkarnaen said that this documentary film was deliberately made by EIGER for Mayangan residents. Recording every effort of Mayangan residents in planting, caring for and protecting mangrove forests so that their village is not lost to abrasion.
“We titled this film Matra Pantura. Created by EIGER as an appreciation and to show the struggle of Mayangan residents in preserving mangroves. We will take this film to several film festivals, and will also organize group viewings in various other cities. “The hope is that this will trigger a discussion about the complexity of the problems on the Pantura Coast and find a solution,” said Zakiy.
More than a hundred residents came to join us. The event that night was very lively. There are various snack vendors lined up. All residents who come to watch can exchange coupons for free snacks prepared by EIGER. The film was shown for approximately 30 minutes, closing with a discussion between residents, attended by the Mayangan Village Head, Village Secretary, school students, the community, as well as a number of village and sub-district officials.
“A beautiful documentary from EIGER. Able to show the struggles of Mayangan residents over the last years. “Transmit to everyone the function and benefits of mangroves, as a support for the continuity of life of coastal communities,” said Mansur, a resident and representative of the Wanadri Foundation in Mayangan.
Comments also came from Abah Encai, a community shop that was born in Mayangan more than 6 decades ago. Abah said that the documentary film “Mantra Pantura” invites everyone to remain steadfast and tough, as well as being skilled and continuing to move to prevent abrasion disasters.
“Thank you EIGER. “This film will be remembered as one of our ways of documenting our efforts to do good, defend our village and homeland, so that the younger generation of Mayangan will have a better life,” concluded Abah Encai. (RO/Z-3)
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