Heavily Damaged Manggarai Barat Homes Likely Rebuilt from 2027

Labuan Bajo — Severely damaged homes in Manggarai Barat after the August Flores earthquake are unlikely to be rebuilt before 2027, as national and local authorities continue verifying damage levels and preparing technical reconstruction plans, according to government officials.

Deputy Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Diana Kusumastuti said residents whose houses were classified as heavily damaged would need to wait for rehabilitation and reconstruction while detailed planning is completed. She explained that rebuilding cannot start immediately because designs and engineering plans must be prepared in line with earthquake-resilient construction standards.

In an interview in Manggarai Barat on 16 September 2026, Diana said the government is still identifying the extent of damage to residential buildings before entering the reconstruction phase. Lightly damaged homes have begun to receive repairs, while houses with medium and severe damage require more complex technical preparation, including structural assessments.

Damage verification and reconstruction timeline

Local authorities have been collecting and validating data on damaged houses since early September. The Manggarai Barat administration reported that, as of 9 September 2026, a total of 13,656 houses had been recorded, with 5,649 of them classified as damaged to varying degrees. Of these, 3,892 houses were listed as lightly damaged, 1,400 as moderately damaged and 357 as heavily damaged.

The Deputy Minister said that houses with heavy damage must go through a planning phase before reconstruction can begin, and that this work is expected to lead into rebuilding activities in 2027. She emphasised that rehabilitation and reconstruction must follow disaster-resilient standards and that planning takes time, particularly in areas with high seismic risk.

Manggarai Barat Regent Edistasius Endi has stated separately that the government is responsible for rebuilding homes damaged by the 15 August 2026 earthquake and that reconstruction policies will be based on verified data from the field. He said verification teams were deployed to villages and urban wards to confirm the level of damage at each affected house before determining reconstruction priorities.

Role of architects and technical standards

The Ministry of Public Works is coordinating with the Indonesian Institute of Architects (Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia, IAI) in the post-quake recovery effort in Flores. During a national working meeting of IAI in Labuan Bajo, Diana highlighted the importance of involving architects directly in the recovery process, especially in regions like Flores that face significant earthquake risk.

She urged architects to ensure that planning and construction comply with Indonesia’s earthquake-resistant building standards, including the national standard SNI 1726 on seismic design for buildings and non-building structures. According to Diana, disaster risk considerations need to be integrated into all stages of development, from planning and design through construction and maintenance.

Diana also underlined the principle of “build back better”, calling for reconstruction that produces safer and more resilient housing and infrastructure than existed before the disaster. This includes strengthening structures, improving connections and using appropriate reinforcement to reduce the likelihood of severe damage in future earthquakes.

Temporary housing and financial assistance

While full reconstruction of heavily damaged homes may not occur until 2027, national disaster management authorities have announced temporary housing and financial assistance measures for affected residents in Manggarai Barat. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has committed to providing permanent housing units (Rumah Hunian Tetap) for households whose homes are classified as heavily damaged.

BNPB stated that during the construction period, eligible households will receive a monthly housing allowance (Dana Tunggu Hunian) of Rp600,000 per family for up to one year. The agency said these benefits are based on verified data showing 357 houses in Manggarai Barat in the heavily damaged category, matching figures reported by the local government.

Officials have framed these measures as part of a broader transition from emergency response to recovery and reconstruction, aiming to ensure that residents of heavily damaged houses have interim support while longer-term rebuilding plans are prepared and implemented.

Sources

• Flores Tribunnews – Wamen PUPR Sebut Rekonstruksi Rumah Rusak Berat Pascagempa Diperkirakan 2027
• Info Mabar – Data Rumah Korban Gempa di Mabar Diekspose, Bupati Edi Apresiasi Tim Verifikasi Lapangan
• RRI – Rakernas IAI di Labuan Bajo Dorong Pembangunan Flores yang Tangguh Pascagempa
• Investortrust.id – Bupati Manggarai Barat: Pemerintah Bertanggung Jawab Penuh terhadap Rumah Korban Gempa
• UGM – SNI 1726:2019 Tata cara perencanaan ketahanan gempa untuk struktur bangunan gedung dan nongedung