Yogyakarta, 2025 — The Kandang Kebo Community, a cultural heritage preservation group founded and managed by Dr. Maria Tri Widayati, an alumna of Tourism Studies Doctoral Program (DKP) Class of 2010, with full support from her husband, Dr. Minta Harsana, M.Sc., also an alumnus of DKP Class of 2014, has received the 2025 Cultural Award in the Upakarya Budaya category from the Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY), Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, for its efforts in cultural preservation and development in the region.
The award was presented directly by the Vice Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, KGPAA Sri Paku Alam X, during a ceremony held at Bangsal Kepatihan, Yogyakarta, on Monday, December 1, 2025.
Kandang Kebo Community, which began from a concern over neglected and poorly maintained cultural heritage sites, has demonstrated significant contributions in preserving cultural heritage in DIY in particular and Indonesia in general. The regular and consistent activities—such as educational discussions, workshops, and other community-engaging programs— the community has worked to introduce and encourage the public to take part in preserving cultural heritage.
This community serves as an example that preserving cultural heritage is not solely the responsibility of the government but can also be driven by public participation.
Kandang Kebo Community also provides education to local communities on how to utilize the cultural heritage found in their villages while adhering to proper preservation principles. One of their key recommendations is encouraging villages with cultural heritage assets to develop heritage-based tourism villages.
Dr. Maria Tri Widayati, the founder and manager of the community, expressed her gratitude for the award. She emphasized that this achievement is the result of collective work within the community and the full support of her family, including her husband, Dr. Minta Harsana. “We believe that culture is the soul of society. Kandang Kebo Community helps we strive to preserve cultural heritage while providing economic benefits to local residents,” she said.
Dr. Maria and Dr. Minta, as alumni of the Doctoral Program in Tourism Studies at the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, combines academic knowledge with practical community empowerment. This approach has enabled Kandang Kebo Community to grow into an environmentally friendly and inclusive cultural creative space.
The 2025 Cultural Award in the Upakarya Budaya category serves as recognition of Kandang Kebo Community’s role in strengthening the cultural ecosystem while promoting high-quality and sustainable tourism development in the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
This initiative aligns with the implementation of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), and Goal 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).
Writer: Arni W
Editors: Dr. Maria