Ponorogo Regency is again excelling in its creative economic sector. It was proven after the craftsmen of Batik Reog Ponorogo succeeded in winning second place in the 2023 East Java Batik Embroidery Accessories Fair which was held by the East Java Provincial Government at the Exhibition Hall Grand City Surabaya, Wednesday (08/03/2023).
In this event, Ponorogo Regency competed with 31 Regencies and Cities in East Java, which also exhibited native regional embroidered batik.
To introduce the typical Ponorogo batik with the Reog motif, the work of high school students in Ponorogo and Ponorogo Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) mothers, Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko and his wife Susilowati became models in the batik demonstration which was also a series of birthday commemoration activities Anniversary of the 43rd East Java Dekranasda.
Chair of the East Java Dekranasda Arumi Bachsin Emil Dardak admitted that he was amazed by the batik on display, as well as various handicrafts made by Small and Micro Enterprises (UMKM). The reason is, thanks to their hard work during the Covid-19 pandemic, the East Java Province’s economy was able to rise.
“The revival of the economy in East Java in the midst of a pandemic cannot be separated from 4 factors, namely, making East Java a Lead Export Manufacturing Industry which was carried out in the midst of a pandemic, making East Java the main source of food for the archipelago, optimizing economic digitalization, and including the East Java economy through the development of small and medium enterprises, Islamic economics and tourism,” he said.
Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko said he was happy that Batik Reog Ponorogo won second place in the Best Typical Fashion Of Indonesian From The World category in the event. This is one of the proofs that Reog art has been firmly rooted in Ponorogo Regency. So that inspired batik craftsmen to make Reog motifs for their batik.
” And it proved acceptable to the market. This is proof that Reog has taken root and is ingrained in the Ponorogo community, not only as a regional identity but also as a driving force for the creative economy there,” he said.
Sugiri admitted, to further improve the economy of Small Business actors, his party had formed Great Youth, PKK Akademia, and Circle-P. Which has an important role in developing UMKM products in the village. “So this great young man is the curator and digital salesperson, this academic PKK is a forum for developing the potential of village women who have skills in the arts and crafts. While Circle-P is the market system, where products produced by UMKM are screened and marketed evenly throughout the Ponorogo area. That way their economy moves, their local market network is also formed,” he concluded. Man
