The Ministry of Villages and Disadvantaged Regions (Kemendes PDT) through the Centre for Village Competitiveness Development (Pusdaing) once again visited Krandegan Village. This visit was part of the field verification agenda for the evaluation of the top 6 finalists in the 2025 Digital Village Competition organised by Kemendes PDT. On this occasion, the Information Technology Study Programme (PSTI) of Muhammadiyah University of Purworejo (UMPWR) also accompanied Krandegan Village, demonstrating close collaboration in the development of digital innovations in the village.
The Kemendes PDT delegation was led directly by the Head of the Village Competitiveness Development Centre (Kapusdaing), Drs. H. Luthfie Latief, M.Si., accompanied by staff. Krandegan Village, as the host, was accompanied by various parties, including the Chairman of Commission I of the Purworejo Regency Regional Parliament, the Head of the DPPPAPMD, experts, the Communication and Information Ministry, the Bayan District Head along with the Forkopimcam, the Chairman of Polosoro Bayan, the Krandegan Village Council, the IT Team and digital cadres, as well as posyandu cadres. The presence of the Head of the Information Technology Study Programme at UM Purworejo, Mr. Murhadi, S.Pd.T., M.Eng., who is also a researcher in the field of Smart Cities and Smart Villages, serves as tangible evidence of academic support for digitalisation in Krandegan.
In his speech, the Head of Krandegan Village, Dwinanto, expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in Krandegan Village by the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (Kemendes PDT) for selecting it as one of the top six villages in the Digital Village Competition. Dwinanto also acknowledged all parties who have contributed to the digitalisation efforts in Krandegan. ‘Our digitalisation is not extravagant, but we ensure it aligns with the needs of the community,’ said Dwinanto, while sharing the journey of Krandegan in building digitalisation from scratch to becoming a model village for study across Indonesia.
High praise was also expressed by the Regent of Purworejo through an official statement read by the Head of the DPPAPMD, Laksana Sakti, A.P., M.Si. The Purworejo Regional Government is committed to supporting the village digitalisation programme, which brings benefits to the community, and will make Krandegan Village a *role model* for other villages.
In line with the Regent, the Chairman of Commission I of the Purworejo District Parliament, H. Budi Sunaryo, S.Sos., also expressed his pride. He emphasised that the Parliament, together with the Purworejo District Government, will support village digitalisation through policies and budgets. In fact, during the 2026 budget discussion meeting, it was agreed to allocate an additional budget of Rp200 million for Krandegan Village as a concrete form of support.
The main event of the visit consisted of a welcome speech, briefing, and assessment by Kapusdaing, Luthfie Lathief. He explained the purpose of the Digital Village Competition as a catalyst for more than 75,000 villages in Indonesia to advance through digitalisation. Luthfie also emphasised the importance of full support from village heads, local governments, or provincial governments, as seen in Krandegan Village.
During the presentation session, the Village Head of Krandegan outlined various aspects of digitalisation that have been implemented, including governance, economy, environment, social welfare, and agriculture. Innovations supported by PSTI UM Purworejo, such as AI-based chatbots, online CCTV, service markets, IoT for office lights, roads, and pumps, as well as digital guestbooks, were also presented. Other services showcased included online letters, online administration, village stalls, online stores, online payments, panic buttons, flood early warning systems, and solar-powered irrigation. At the end of the session, the Village Head of Krandegan, along with the IT team and posyandu cadres, introduced their latest application, SIPenting (Stunting Monitoring Information System). ‘We are trying to address the issues facing our community through digitalisation and collaboration with the community, government, private sector, media, and the education sector,’ explained Dwinanto.
This warm and dynamic event concluded with a visit to a solar power plant for irrigation, followed by lunch and a reception. The success of Krandegan Village in placing among the top six in the National Digital Village Competition has inspired other villages to continue innovating and utilising technology for the advancement of their communities.
