By Musriadi Musanif
Jurnalist
LIMAPULUH KOTA, kiprahkita.net - One afternoon, deep in the Limapuluh Kota Regency, near Palupuah in Agam Regency, and not far from Bonjol in Pasaman Regency, lies a hidden village.
As the clock shows a little past 14:00 WIB, the village is quiet, with only the sounds of nature filling the air.
In a lepau, three men in their seventies are seen joking. Three small glasses of coffee, already 'takarak', sit silently in front of them. Their conversation is ambiguous, their voices blending into the stillness of the afternoon.
Nearby, two well-dressed men are engaged in a lively conversation. One appears to be a government official, evidenced by the red plate on his motorcycle parked outside.
Just ten steps away, a unique gate made of palm fiber reads: "SARUGO, Saribu Gonjong." This gate marks the entrance to Kampuang Sarugo, a small village nestled in the wilderness at the height of the hills.
Among the bushes, a community-owned citrus garden thrives. Kampuang Sarugo is not the village's original name.
It was adopted when the village entered the Anugerah Pesona Indonesia (API) and Anugerah Desa Wisata Indonesia (ADWI) competitions and received the Tourism Awareness Group Appreciation (Pokdarwis) in West Sumatra in 2021.
Kampuang Sarugo is a visual feast, with beautiful panoramas stretching as far as the eye can see. The village is dotted with old Minangkabau houses, known as Rumah Gadang, with their distinctive towering roofs.
This architectural feature likely inspired the name Kampuang Sarugo: Saribu Gonjong, meaning a thousand gonjong (roof peaks).
Located in Nagari Kototinggi, Gunuang Omeh Sub-district, Kampuang Sarugo is steeped in history.
Kototinggi is known as a struggle village, where leaders fought to defend the newly independent Republic of Indonesia. It served as the center of the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PDRI).
Metrial, a 44-year-old resident, explains that the PDRI was formed on December 22, 1948, in Halaban, still within Limapuluh Kota Regency, before moving to Kototinggi.
The PDRI was established because Indonesian leaders Soekarno and Hatta were captured by the Dutch during their aggression.
To avoid a government vacuum, Economy Minister Syafruddin Prawiranegara, in Bukittinggi, took the initiative to form an emergency government with President Soekarno's approval.
The PDRI, led by Syafruddin, fought to assert the Republic of Indonesia's existence to the international community.
However, the PDRI office in Bukittinggi was unsafe due to Dutch attacks. Syafruddin and his colleagues moved their control center to Kototinggi.
Today, the house that served as the office still stands, along with a monument commemorating Kototinggi's role in defending Indonesia's unity.
The village remains quiet. In the afternoon, many residents are in the orange orchards and other agricultural areas. Unfortunately, many citrus orchards are now neglected due to pests and high fertilizer costs.
Road conditions to Kampuang Sarugo and Kototinggi are far from ideal. The journey from Suliki involves narrow, winding, and steep roads with numerous potholes. The road from Kototinggi Market to Kampuang Sarugo is even worse.
A man in the lepau mentions, "It's not just the road that's bad. There's also no cell phone signal here. Electricity has only arrived in recent years."
Developing Kampuang Sarugo is challenging with such infrastructure issues. How can tourists reach the village?
Even minibuses struggle on the narrow, treacherous roads leading to Kampuang Sarugo, near Bonjol, where Padri fighters led by Tuanku Imam Bonjol were based.
Promoting agro-tourism to pick Jesigo, the sweet and popular Siamese oranges from Gunuang Omeh, is difficult.
It's easier to buy Jesigo from traders on the Suliki-Payakumbuh and Payakumbuh-Tanjung Pati highways than directly from the gardens in Kototinggi.
Despite extensive citrus gardens in Gunung Omeh District, few are well-maintained and ready for agro-tourism.
Residents have complained to Governor of West Sumatra Buya H. Mahyeldi Ansharullah about a 75 percent decrease in citrus production due to pests and high fertilizer costs.
Even with these challenges, Kampuang Sarugo holds great potential. With support from the Muhammadiyah University of West Sumatra, Kampuang Sarugo has won two awards: Rank I Appreciation for Pokdarwis in West Sumatra and ADWI in 2021 from the Ministry of Tourism. In 2020, Kampuang Sarugo received the Indonesian Pesona Award (API).
Dr. Riki Saputra, the Rector of Muhammadiyah University of West Sumatra, says, "We don't want to be limited to ceremonial activities. We aim for sustainable development. We are proud of Kampuang Sarugo's achievements."
Despite the accolades, Kampuang Sarugo remains deserted. Those passing through are not tourists but traveling merchants.
The once-grand gate of Sarugo Village: Saribu Gonjong, now receives little attention.***
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