Dam Rong 1 creates a breakthrough in the development of ethnic minority areas.

Ensuring a stable home

Dam Rong 1 commune was established by merging the entire natural area and population of two communes, Phi Lieng and Da K'Nang. After the reorganization, the commune has a natural area of over 172 km² with 18 villages; including two particularly disadvantaged villages, Dong Gle and Pul.

The total population of the commune is 17,265 people; of which, ethnic minorities account for more than 52%, comprising 18 different ethnic groups, mainly Co Ho, Ma, M'nong, Tay, Nung, Dao, Hmong, Xtieng… This diversity creates a rich cultural landscape, full of identity and vitality in this new land.

Photo 1.2 Laba banana — The Laba banana cultivation models for export in Dam Rong 1 have brought high economic efficiency to the people.

According to Mr. Phan Van Dang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dam Rong 1 commune, in order to comprehensively implement national target programs, the People's Committee of the commune has established a Steering Committee for the 2021-2025 period and issued detailed plans for each project. Each source of funding is allocated and used for the right purpose and target, ensuring practical effectiveness.

Specifically in 2025, the total budget for implementing programs and projects in the commune reached over 6.9 billion VND, including 4.9 billion VND for development investment and 1.97 billion VND for operational expenses. Of this, the central government provided the majority of the funding, with the local government contributing the remainder, demonstrating a clear priority given to ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

One of the notable achievements is the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses. To date, the commune has supported 41 households (38 households building new houses, 3 households repairing existing ones), with a total budget of over 2.37 billion VND, achieving 100% of the plan. These new, spacious houses not only provide stable housing for the people but also instill confidence and motivation in them to overcome poverty and settle down.

Image 1: Laba banana product — The people of Dam Rong 1 commune are boldly applying technological advancements, developing commodity production, and increasing their income.

Furthermore, during the period 2022-2025, Dam Rong 1 commune implemented six key projects under the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Among these, the project addressing the shortage of land for housing, production land, and clean water, with a total budget of 135 million VND, provided decentralized clean water to 45 poor ethnic minority households in particularly difficult villages. This helped the people have access to clean water for daily use.

To help people prosper

The commune also implemented a startup and investment attraction project with a total budget of 450 million VND, aiming to support production models linked to value chains, encourage people to boldly innovate farming methods, apply technological advancements, develop commodity production, and increase income.

Ms. Ban Thi Nay, a Dao ethnic minority woman, is one of the outstanding producers and business owners in Da Pin village, Dam Rong 1 commune.

We visited the family of Ms. Ban Thi Nay, a Dao ethnic minority woman – one of the successful production and business households in Da Pin village.

She recounted that her family moved from Lang Son province to Dam Rong 1 commune in 2017 with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The early days of establishing themselves in this unfamiliar land were full of hardships. However, with determination and hard work, her family gradually prospered. Today, she owns 2.5 hectares of coffee plantations and takes care of another 2 hectares, yielding approximately 15 tons of coffee beans annually, bringing in an income of over 1.5 billion VND.

Not stopping there, she also planted 3 acres of mulberry trees to raise silkworms, averaging 2 boxes of silkworms per month, earning a profit of over 20 million VND. Thanks to her hard work, her family's life has become increasingly prosperous. A spacious new house has replaced the temporary dwelling of the past.

Ms. Nay shared: "Thanks to the local government's attention to investing in infrastructure, especially roads and rural electricity grids, people's travel and production have become much more convenient. We feel secure in our work, and our lives are becoming increasingly prosperous."

Thanks to their hard work, Ms. Ban Thi Nay's family has built a spacious house with all the necessary amenities.

Implementing essential infrastructure investment projects to serve production and daily life in ethnic minority areas is also a highlight of the commune's program. With a total budget of over 5.2 billion VND - the largest among the projects - the commune has invested in two rural road projects in Pul and Dơng Glê villages. At the same time, it has maintained and repaired roads and the community center in Dơng Glê village.

When the roads are completed, traffic flows smoothly, goods move easily, and the people's spiritual lives are noticeably improved.

In Da Pin village, many spacious houses worth billions of dong belonging to ethnic minority households are increasingly being built.

Alongside infrastructure investment, the commune also focuses on caring for the spiritual well-being and health of its people. A project to improve health, enhance physical condition, and prevent malnutrition in children has been implemented with a total budget of 464 million VND.

In addition, the project on gender equality and addressing urgent issues for women and children was also assigned by the local authorities to the Women's Union of the commune as the main investor, with a total budget of 485 million VND. Social welfare policies, support for students, and benefits for influential figures among ethnic minorities were also implemented seriously and comprehensively.

Currently, the entire commune has 18 influential community leaders – these are important "bridges" between the government and the people, contributing to the dissemination and mobilization of the people to effectively implement the Party's guidelines and policies and the laws of the State.

According to Phan Van Dang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dam Rong 1 commune, the implementation of the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2022-2025 has yielded many practical results. Rural infrastructure has been strengthened. New production models have emerged. The poverty rate has gradually decreased year by year. More importantly, the people's trust in the Party and the State has been increasingly strengthened, creating motivation for them to work together to build a developed homeland.

In the coming period, Dam Rong 1 commune will continue to mobilize resources, promote propaganda, and encourage people to develop their internal strengths and improve the efficiency of investment capital utilization. The goal is to successfully implement the targets and tasks of the Program for the 2022-2025 period, contributing to building an increasingly developed, civilized, and prosperous ethnic minority region.

Mr. Phan Van Dang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dam Rong 1 Commune

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/dam-rong-1-tao-dot-pha-trong-phat-trien-vung-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-397511.html