Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs Holds Joint Work Meeting with Ministries/Agencies to Accelerate Regional Economic Growth Toward 8 Percent Target

 

Jakarta, 10 September 2026 – The Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) held a Coordination Meeting for the Preparation and Presentation of the Work Plan of the Monitoring Team for the Acceleration of Regional Economic Growth from September 4 to 6, 2026, at the Mercure Convention Center Ancol, North Jakarta.

This strategic agenda was conducted to monitor, safeguard, and accelerate regional economic growth in support of achieving the national economic growth target of 8%, as mandated in Presidential Regulation Number 12 of 2025 concerning the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2025–2029.

This cross-ministerial and agency work meeting opened with direct directions from the Secretary General of Kemendagri, Police Commissioner General Drs. Tomsi Tohir, M.Si., and featured key speakers and presenters:

- Police Commissioner General Drs. Tomsi Tohir, M.Si. – Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs

- Teni Widuriyanti – Secretary of the Ministry of National Development Planning / Principal Secretary of Bappenas

- Moh Edy Mahmud – Deputy for Balance Sheet and Statistical Analysis, Statistics Indonesia (BPS)

- Ir. Medrilzam, M.Prof.Rcon., Ph.D. – Deputy for Regional Development, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas

Problem-Solving Approach and Regional Work Plan Formulation

The Secretary General of Kemendagri emphasized the importance of shifting from mere administrative monitoring (compliance-oriented) to a concrete problem-solving approach (problem-solving oriented). During the technical session, the Head of the Center for Regional Policy Strategy, Population, and Public Services of Kemendagri, Dr. T.R Fahsul Falah, S.Sos., M.Si., together with the Head of the Data and Information Systems Center, presented a technical explanation of activities and the division of work regions for the monitoring team. This forum thoroughly analyzed economic growth figures at the regency/city level and formulated concrete actions for local governments.

To ensure effective supervision across Indonesia, the work meeting divided discussions into provincial regional groups per island. All Echelon I Officials of Kemendagri were assigned as officials-in-charge to coordinate the formulation and presentation of the Work Plan for Each Province.

Concrete Actions and Strengthening Early Warning Indicators

During the panel discussion, Kemendagri together with Bappenas, BPS, and the Ministry of Investment/BKPM aligned evaluation indicators for regional economic growth:

- Use of Early Warning Indicators: Implementing a monthly early warning system from BPS to read regional economic dynamic signals in real time.

- Acceleration of Investment and Licensing: Resolving licensing bottlenecks in regions and optimizing investment potential to encourage ease of doing business.

- Nine Strategic Steps for Local Governments: Encouraging regions to accelerate regional budget (APBD) realization, infrastructure projects, staple food price control, job creation, and boosting industrial output as well as primary sectors.

The three-day series of activities concluded with a consolidation of meeting results and closing remarks by the Secretary General of Kemendagri on Sunday, September 6, 2026, ensuring that all provinces have measurable, timely, and result-oriented action plans (no issue without owner, no owner without deadline)

Filipino Child Singer Kara Lopez Performs Original Songs for Little Elara: The Butterfly Feeling


METRO MANILA, Philippines —  Young Filipino singer Kara Lopez is bringing her voice to Little Elara: The Butterfly Feeling, performing two original songs created specifically for the newest installment of the Little Elara series, a bedtime storytelling project created for mothers and their young daughters.

Recorded in Metro Manila, Lopez performs “How You Know” and “My Butterfly Feeling,” two original songs written by author and Little Elara creator Michael Evans as part of the project’s original musical soundtrack.

The story follows Little Elara through a magical world of butterflies, moonlit gardens and quiet choices. Beneath the fairytale setting is a simple lesson for young girls: feelings deserve to be heard, kindness can exist alongside boundaries, and a child can learn to pause, listen to herself and make choices she feels comfortable with.

For mothers, Evans said, the project was designed to make those conversations feel less like lessons and more like something a daughter can absorb naturally while curled up beside her mother at bedtime.

“I wanted to create something a mother could put on at night and know that, underneath the music, butterflies and bedtime story, her daughter is hearing messages that may stay with her long after childhood,” Evans said. “Little girls should grow up knowing that they can be loving and kind without leaving themselves behind.”

Kara’s performance is central to that experience. Rather than functioning simply as background music, the songs carry the story’s message through the voice of a child speaking to other children.

“I’m happy to be part of this project because I want my singing to inspire people and make them feel that they are not alone. I learned that it’s important to believe in yourself and use your voice to encourage others.” — Kara Lopez

That message closely reflects the heart of The Butterfly Feeling. Throughout the story, Little Elara begins to understand her own quiet inner signals through a butterfly metaphor. She learns to feel, pause, listen and choose, while discovering that she can care about the entire garden without having to “land” everywhere.

One of the story’s central lines captures that lesson: “You can love the whole garden, Little Elara… you just don’t have to land everywhere.”

A Filipino Voice in a Story Created for Mothers and Daughters

Kara’s participation also gives the project a meaningful connection to the Philippines, where her vocals were recorded. Her young voice provides an innocence that allows the songs to feel as though they belong naturally inside Little Elara’s world rather than being placed over it.

The visual story is followed by an extended 432 Hz sleep-music experience, accompanied by dim nighttime imagery designed to transition children gently from storytelling into a peaceful night of rest. The result combines a children’s story, original music, emotional learning and bedtime relaxation into one mother-and-daughter experience.

Evans created the broader Little Elara series around the idea that some of the most important lessons a girl carries into adulthood can begin quietly, years earlier, in moments when she feels secure enough to listen.

For Kara Lopez, The Butterfly Feeling marks an opportunity to use her emerging voice for something larger than a performance.

For the mothers who press play, the hope is even simpler: that their daughters fall asleep with a song in their hearts—and wake up a little more certain that their own voice matters.

Watch Little Elara: The Butterfly Feeling

Mothers and daughters can watch Little Elara: The Butterfly Feeling on YouTube.

Follow Kara Lopez on Instagram for more from the young Filipino singer.

Ondo Finance and FLOQ Signed MoU Bringing Exposure to Tokenized U.S. Stocks and ETFs to Indonesia

Ondo Finance and FLOQ have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bring tokenized U.S. stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) exposure to eligible users in Indonesia, connecting Ondo Finance’s tokenized securities technology with FLOQ’s locally regulated digital asset platform and more than 1.8 million registered users. The agreement was signed during Indonesia Blockchain Week (IDBW) 2026 in Jakarta, following a panel discussion on the future of tokenized U.S. equities, ETFs and global market access. The MoU establishes a framework for both companies to assess potential product integration, local distribution, education, technical requirements and the regulatory pathway required before tokenized capital-market products could become available through FLOQ.

The collaboration comes as Indonesia’s digital asset ecosystem continues to grow. In June 2026, Indonesia recorded 22.69 million digital financial asset and crypto consumers, while crypto transaction value reached IDR28.58 trillion during the month, according to figures reported by Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority, OJK (Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority). For FLOQ and Ondo, the opportunity is not simply to introduce another category of digital assets. The partnership explores whether Indonesia’s established crypto infrastructure and user adoption can provide a pathway toward broader access to global public-market assets through tokenization.

Bringing Exposure to U.S. Stocks and ETFs Onchain

Ondo Finance has built one of the largest platforms for tokenizing public-market securities, connecting U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs with blockchain infrastructure. Through Ondo Stocks, eligible investors outside the United States can gain onchain economic exposure to hundreds of publicly traded U.S. stocks and ETFs via tokenized securities issued by Ondo Global Markets (BVI) Limited. Ondo Finance currently tokenizes more than 430 tokenized stocks and ETFs, with the underlying shares held through U.S.-registered broker-dealers. Ondo tokenized stocks are designed to be fully backed by the corresponding stocks or ETFs and to track the economic performance of the underlying assets. Ondo Stocks crossed US$1 billion in total value locked (TVL) in May 2026, less than eight months after launch.

The collaboration with FLOQ now explores how that infrastructure could potentially connect with Indonesian users through a regulated local platform.

Exploring Tokenized U.S. Stocks for Indonesia

Under the MoU, FLOQ and Ondo Finance will assess the potential availability of tokenized U.S. equities and ETFs through the FLOQ ecosystem. Potential assets could include tokenized exposure to globally recognized U.S.-listed companies such as Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Tesla, as well as major ETFs including SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) and Invesco QQQ. These assets are among those being considered within the broader collaboration; no specific product has yet been confirmed for launch in Indonesia.

Any future availability will remain subject to legal, compliance and technical review, applicable OJK (Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority) requirements, asset-listing or whitelisting processes and any other regulatory approvals required in Indonesia.

The companies will also evaluate appropriate product disclosures, education and user-protection requirements before any implementation. For FLOQ, the longer-term opportunity is to connect Indonesia’s established digital asset ecosystem with an increasingly broad universe of financial products being brought onchain globally.

For Ondo Finance, the collaboration provides an opportunity to explore how its tokenized public-market infrastructure can reach a major Southeast Asian digital economy through an established local platform.

Why Indonesia Matters

Indonesia’s scale provides an important backdrop to the partnership.

Digital asset participation has grown significantly in recent years, while the country continues to develop its regulatory framework for crypto assets and other digital financial assets. OJK (Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority) has also identified asset tokenization and stablecoins among the areas being considered as part of the development of Indonesia’s digital financial asset ecosystem. For global financial and Web3 companies, this creates an increasingly relevant market at the intersection of traditional finance and blockchain-based infrastructure.

“Indonesia has a large and highly engaged digital asset community, making it an important market for the growth of tokenized securities. At Ondo, we’re building the infrastructure to bring stocks and ETFs onchain, and see a strong opportunity in a market where demand for high-quality financial assets is growing. FLOQ gives us a strong local partner to explore how tokenized public-market assets can responsibly reach eligible users in Indonesia.” Rania Rahardja, Senior Director for Asia Pacific at Ondo Finance.

From Crypto Markets to Global Public Markets

The MoU was signed following the IDBW 2026 panel discussion titled “Beyond Crypto: Tokenized U.S. Stocks, ETFs and the Future of Global Market Access.” The session brought together Rania Rahardja, Senior Director at Ondo Finance; Kalimasada, Indonesian crypto trader and educator; Marco Manoppo, General Partner at SharpByte Capital; and Yudhono Rawis, Founder and CEO of FLOQ.

The discussion explored how tokenization could change the infrastructure through which investors access traditional financial instruments, particularly as public-market securities increasingly move onto blockchain rails. It also highlighted an important distinction between direct ownership of a traditional security, economic exposure through a tokenized product, and ownership of an ecosystem token. Each structure may involve different rights, mechanics, and risk profiles.

For FLOQ, education around those distinctions will be an important component of any future implementation.

Yudhono Rawis, Founder and CEO of FLOQ, said the collaboration reflects FLOQ’s broader ambition to connect Indonesian users with developments taking place across global financial markets.

“Indonesia already has a substantial digital asset ecosystem. We believe the next stage is not simply about adding more assets, but about exploring how global financial products and new market infrastructure can become accessible to Indonesian users responsibly. Ondo Finance has built significant capability in bringing traditional securities onchain, while FLOQ brings regulated local distribution, community and a deep understanding of the Indonesian market. We believe that combination creates a meaningful opportunity to explore.”

Tokenization Without Losing Sight of the Underlying Asset

Ondo Finance’s tokenized-stock technology is designed to connect blockchain accessibility with the underlying liquidity and assets of traditional public markets.

Ondo Stocks are issued by Ondo Global Markets (BVI) Limited, a British Virgin Islands special purpose vehicle that is co-owned by Ondo Finance and the Ondo Foundation. Ondo Stocks are fully backed by corresponding U.S. stocks, ETFs and cash held with U.S.-registered broker-dealers. An independent verification agent reviews the backing, while the structure includes protections designed for token holders.

Rather than creating an entirely separate pool of liquidity onchain, Ondo’s model is designed to connect tokenized assets with liquidity in the underlying traditional markets.

This distinction is particularly important as tokenized securities move beyond crypto-native audiences and begin reaching investors more familiar with traditional equities and ETFs.

For Indonesian users, potential access through FLOQ would therefore represent exposure to familiar global public-market names through a fundamentally different technological infrastructure.

Education and Regulatory Readiness

As part of the collaboration, FLOQ and Ondo Finance also intend to explore joint educational initiatives for the FLOQ community. Potential programs would cover how tokenized stocks and ETFs work, the relationship between a tokenized product and its underlying asset, the difference between direct securities ownership and tokenized economic exposure, issuance and redemption mechanisms, and the market and product risks users should understand. The companies believe education will be particularly important as the boundary between traditional capital markets and blockchain-based financial infrastructure continues to evolve.

All product communication and any future commercial implementation will remain subject to applicable legal, compliance and regulatory requirements in Indonesia.

Building a Bridge Between Global Markets and Indonesia

For FLOQ, the collaboration represents part of a broader strategy to connect Indonesia’s digital asset ecosystem with products and infrastructure being developed globally. FLOQ has more than 1.8 million registered users, more than 2 million app downloads, over 250,000 followers across seven social media platforms, and more than 25,000 active community members.

For Ondo Finance, the partnership creates an opportunity to explore distribution of its tokenized public-market infrastructure within a large, digitally engaged market through an established Indonesian platform.

The potential significance of the collaboration therefore extends beyond individual stocks or ETFs.

It explores whether the infrastructure that has already brought hundreds of U.S. public-market securities onchain can be connected responsibly with one of Southeast Asia’s most significant digital asset communities.

About FLOQ

FLOQ is a digital asset trading platform committed to delivering a secure, transparent, and accessible investment experience. With a focus on innovation, education, and regulatory compliance, FLOQ aims to support the growth of Indonesia's digital asset ecosystem. 

FLOQ has an active community of more than 250,000 followers across seven social media platforms, supported by more than 25,000 active community members. FLOQ is also committed to improving digital asset literacy through FLOQ Academy, available free of charge to users and the general public. 

FLOQ has recorded more than 1.8 million registered users and over 2 million app downloads. The platform supports more than 100 digital assets and continues to focus on ecosystem development and strategic partnerships to deliver real value to users in the digital economy era.

 

Monday, September 14, 2026

From Concept to Convention Floor: How Keepital Built a Startup Pavilion at WOCEE 2026


 When the World of Consumer Electronics Expo opened its doors at the SMX Convention Center Manila last August 5, Keepital Philippines wasn't just attending. It had built something of its own.

At the World of Consumer Electronics Expo (WOCEE) 2026, Keepital once again demonstrated its commitment to empowering SMEs and innovators by organizing a vibrant Start‑Up Pavilion. This initiative brought together six promising start‑ups and a powerhouse IP institution, offering them a platform to showcase their ideas, engage with industry leaders, and connect with potential partners.

By curating this collaborative space, Keepital amplified the visibility of emerging ventures and provided them with the credibility needed to stand out in a competitive marketplace. The presence of the Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO) further underscored the importance of intellectual property in fostering innovation, as the office engaged directly with the industry to highlight its role in supporting start‑ups and entrepreneurs.

The result was the Keepital Startup Pavilion: a curated cluster of booths within the WOCEE floor, anchored by a dedicated stage programme on Day 2, August 6, designed to give each participant not just a booth but a genuine launchpad.

The Exhibitors

Keepital opened applications to startups across the consumer technology ecosystem and selected seven participants for the pavilion:

Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO) anchored the pavilion as the institutional partner, bringing IP commercialization expertise and presenting the opening panel discussion.

a11y media, formerly known as Wika and the only Philippine startup selected from 800+ applicants for the Real Madrid Next Accelerator, brought its accessible media platform to WOCEE, serving the Filipino Deaf and hard of hearing community through sign language video content and captions.

KLARO brought AI-powered sales and inventory management designed for Philippine cooperatives and agri-businesses still running on handwritten logbooks, one of the most grounded applications of AI to reach the expo floor.

Domantay Consulting (DC Digital), founded in 2018, represented the communications and brand side of the ecosystem. A reminder that every technology company eventually needs to be heard, not just built.

Vaura entered as an AI-powered content engine, offering businesses a smarter, faster pipeline for producing brand-consistent content at scale.

BetterClinic demonstrated its AI ambient scribe that listens during medical consultations and auto-generates clinical notes, prescriptions, and PhilHealth claims, built specifically for the Philippine healthcare context and compliant with the Data Privacy Act.

SOFI AI, a member of the NVIDIA Inception Program and a Google for Startups alumnus, showcased its customer engagement automation platform that is a 24/7 chat, multilingual, and deployable across Facebook, Instagram, Shopify, and more.

Throughout the event, Keepital’s team actively engaged with visitors, facilitating conversations that bridged start‑ups with investors, collaborators, and customers. The pavilion was not only a showcase of innovation but also a hub of meaningful exchange where ideas were shared, partnerships were formed, and opportunities for growth were unlocked.

Beyond supporting the exhibitors, Keepital also contributed to the success of WOCEE itself, ensuring that the Start‑Up Pavilion added value to the overall program. This dual role, both as exhibitor and organizer, reflected Keepital’s mission to strengthen ecosystems, empower SMEs, and create platforms where businesses can thrive.

WOCEE 2026 was more than just an exhibition; it was a celebration of ingenuity, collaboration, and forward‑thinking. By championing start‑ups and partnering with institutions like AIPO, Keepital reaffirmed its position as a trusted ally in driving innovation across Southeast Asia. The success of the pavilion highlights Keepital’s dedication to building bridges between emerging businesses and the wider industry, paving the way for sustainable growth and global visibility.

Ready to Get Noticed?

Join the many ASEAN SMEs already taking advantage of this digital shift. Be discovered when buyers search. Turn visibility into real business.

Reach out today: ask@keepital.com | sales.ph@keepital.com | Schedule a meeting

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About KEEP Pte Ltd.

Keepital was established in 2013 and has now grown into Southeast Asia’s Leading Industrial B2B marketplace that facilitates connections between suppliers and buyers worldwide through our online platform. They stand out with their highly competitive pricing and offer a comprehensive range of services beyond just product listings. Their advertising options are designed for affordability and simplicity, featuring a one-time payment and low renewal fees for product and service suppliers on our online portal.

Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs Holds Joint Work Meeting with Ministries/Agencies to Accelerate Regional Economic Growth Toward 8 Percent Target

  Jakarta, 10 September 2026 – The Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) held a Coordination Meeting for the Preparation and Pre...