DPR Members: MBG Can Still Operate During PJJ, Parents Pick Up at School
A senior member of Indonesia's House of Representatives has proposed that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program can continue operating even when schools implement distance learning, with parents collecting meals directly from school premises.
Yahya Zaini, Deputy Chairman of Commission IX, said Saturday that the mechanism would require coordination between school food service providers, school administrators, and parents. "For instance, MBG can still be provided at schools, but the meals can be collected by parents. Again, this should not burden the parents," the Golkar Party legislator told Kompas.com on October 17, 2026.
Context: Forest Fires Force Distance Learning
The proposal comes as Indonesia faces its worst forest and land fires since 2015, with more than 100,000 hectares burned and over 280,000 respiratory problems recorded since mid-August. As of early September, approximately 1.43 million students across 12,874 schools in six provinces had shifted to distance learning (PJJ), with West Kalimantan alone accounting for 1.1 million affected students.
Yahya emphasized that the government must thoroughly evaluate the temporary suspension of MBG during distance learning periods to avoid detrimental effects on both students and school food service providers. He warned that halting the program for an undefined duration could harm children's nutritional intake at a critical time.
Scale and Impact of MBG Program
The MBG program, launched on January 6, 2025, as a flagship policy of President Prabowo Subianto, targets 82.9 million beneficiaries with a 2026 budget of approximately 268 trillion rupiah (US$17.8 billion), representing over 13.5% of Indonesia's national budget. By early November 2025, the program had reached more than 41.2 million people and created approximately 600,000 jobs in kitchens and as raw material suppliers.
"We need to find a wise solution and an agreed-upon pattern and mechanism to ensure that the MBG program can continue," Yahya said, noting that the issue requires particular attention as distance learning is currently being widely implemented in regions affected by forest and land fires.
The Ministry of Health issued guidance in August 2026 advising schools to suspend outdoor activities and shift to distance learning when the Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU) registers high and unhealthy levels. Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi implemented distance learning from October 16-23, 2026, through a mayoral circular due to unhealthy PM 2.5 levels from forest fire haze.
Priority for Vulnerable Groups
Yahya stressed that MBG provision for Group 3B—which includes pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers—should remain a priority even during distance learning implementation. He warned that halting the program for this vulnerable group could undermine efforts to prevent stunting, which has declined from 21.5% in 2023 to 19.8% in 2024 as the government works toward a target of 14.2% by 2029. Approximately 4.5 million Indonesian children under five remain affected by stunting.
"Because if terminated, it can lead to a significant increase in stunting rates," Yahya concluded.
Current Distribution Mechanism
Earlier Saturday, Sudaryono, Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN)—established in August 2024 through Presidential Regulation No. 83 of 2024 to coordinate the MBG program—outlined the mechanism for MBG implementation during school suspensions. He explained that if local governments issue suspension notifications before food procurement and cooking preparations begin, MBG distribution for the following day will not occur.
However, if the notification arrives when preparations and cooking are already underway, the food that has already been prepared will still be distributed. Sudaryono emphasized that this mechanism aims to ensure efficient use of food resources while preventing prepared food from going to waste, and does not mean MBG will continue as usual during distance learning periods.
