How RT Leaders in Surabaya Actively Help Residents Update Data After Desil Changes

SURABAYA, KOMPAS.com - Several residents of Kedondong Kidul III, Kelurahan Tegalsari, Kecamatan Tegalsari, Surabaya, were sitting relaxed in a crowded neighborhood alley. Most of them were women dressed in everyday clothes.

Amid this humble setting, they were discussing a term that has become increasingly relevant to residents' lives recently, especially regarding social assistance (bansos): desil.

Then, the head of RT 14 RW 06, Angga Febrica, explained the concept of desil within the National Social and Economic Unified Data (Data Tunggal Sosial dan Ekonomi Nasional, DTSEN).

Residents were encouraged to understand why their desil status can change and what steps to take if they believe the data collected does not reflect their economic condition.

For some residents, changes in desil are not just numerical shifts in data. This status can affect their access to various social assistance programs.

Residents Confused by Desil Changes, Assistance Discontinued

Known as Angga, the RT chief said the outreach was necessary because many residents still do not understand desil. Confusion grew after several residents noticed their desil status changed during data updates.

"So all RT 14 residents understand what desil means, because it has been fluctuating lately. We conducted perlinsos, but there was also a BPS census, so residents questioned why their desil changed so drastically," he told Kompas.com on Monday (21/9/2029).

This shift sparked questions about whether the data accurately reflects residents' daily living conditions. He noted some residents previously categorized in desil groups 1-5 suddenly moved to desil 6-10, and vice versa.

As a result, many residents who previously received assistance found themselves excluded.

"The complaints are generally from those who experienced changes and lost access to aid. I explained that according to the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) and the government, assistance quotas exist, so aid is distributed in rotation," said Angga Febrica.

RT Assists Residents Filing Objections

However, if residents feel their desil status does not accurately represent their economic situation, he said there is a mechanism to submit objections or update data.

Dokumentasi Pribadi Several residents, predominantly elderly women, attentively listen to the explanation by RT 14 RW 06 head Angga Febrica about desil within the National Social and Economic Unified Data (DTSEN) in Kedondong Kidul III, Kelurahan Tegalsari, Kecamatan Tegalsari, Surabaya, East Java, Thursday afternoon (17/9/2026).

He assists residents who believe their economic condition does not match the recorded data.

"As an RT leader, I guide residents whose desil changed and who firmly believe in their economic difficulties to file objections," Angga Febrica said.

"They use an application or a link to check social assistance, attach letters from RT, RW, and a statement from the village office, then upload these documents through the application," he added.

Angga emphasized that this procedure is crucial for residents to know so desil changes don’t remain mere complaints but become an opportunity to report and update information when discrepancies exist.