Jakarta — Two high school students from Papua expressed pride and excitement at taking part in Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day celebrations as members of the Pasukan Pengibar Bendera Pusaka (Paskibraka), the elite national flag-raising troop, at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta alongside President Prabowo Subianto.

They are Franciscus Sakfiris Pahabolisage, representing Papua Pegunungan Province and a student at SMA Negeri 1 Wamena, and Stincek Laramiapa, representing Papua Tengah Province from SMA Negeri 1 Nabire.

“I’m so happy because before, I could only see this on TV or on my phone. Now I get to see it all right in front of me. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity,” Franciscus said in Jakarta on Thursday (Aug. 14).

“Thank you, Mr. President, for selecting us to be here. We are excited and proud to be able to meet you in person,” he added.

Franciscus recalled the rigorous selection process, which began at the district level, continued to the provincial stage, and culminated at the national level. One of his biggest challenges was the physical training—something he wasn’t accustomed to.

“I had never done regular running, push-ups, or sit-ups before, so when I took the test, I was shocked. Running on such a big field was tough—my body really had to adjust,” he said with a laugh.

Meanwhile, Stincek shared her commitment to delivering her very best performance before the President and the nation.

“My message to the President is that I will do my utmost to raise the national flag with the best result possible on the big day, and I will make our country proud,” she said.

She admitted she once doubted she could make it to the national level, but now she is thrilled to be part of the Paskibraka team and to have met friends from all 38 provinces during training.

“At first, we didn’t know each other. But as training went on, we learned how to work together—how to be in sync, what not to do, and how to support each other. You need to focus on yourself, but also on the team. We have to understand one another, stay united, and build a strong sense of camaraderie,” she explained.

Stincek also admitted to feeling nervous about performing on August 17, but said that excitement and joy outweighed her nerves.

“Of course I’m nervous to meet the President in person. But it’s also a great joy for all of us, knowing that we earned this moment through our own efforts,” she said.