A new rhythm of life along the Po Ko River

As dawn broke, the central area of ​​Ia Kha town, Ia Grai border district, Gia Lai province, burst with the energy of a new day. People and vehicles bustled along the wide, sprawling roads. On every road, people went to their fields, traders went to work, and students eagerly went to school… creating a new rhythm of life along the Po Ko River. For many years, the team of influential figures in Ninh Thuan province has always considered the press a valuable source of intellectual nourishment, helping them access timely information and effectively serve in propaganda work and building national unity. If the Political Report is a torch illuminating the way, then the Socio-Economic Report is a handbook for action to help us achieve the set goals, General Secretary To Lam emphasized. Socio-economic issues are very broad, very difficult, highly specialized, and change very quickly, requiring frequent updates and additions. On March 17th, in the city... Pleiku, Gia Lai province, solemnly celebrated the 50th anniversary of the province's liberation (March 17, 1975 - March 17, 2025). To enhance community disaster resilience, the Quang Ninh Provincial Red Cross Society, in coordination with relevant departments and agencies, selected localities at high risk of natural disasters and storm surges to organize training on disaster prevention and response. In 2025, the Provincial Red Cross Society plans to organize nearly 20 training courses in 7 coastal localities... On March 17th, the Lang Son Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee held a ceremony to honor and reward collectives that have made significant contributions to the "Joining Hands to Eliminate Temporary and Dilapidated Houses" program in the province. On March 17th, the Bac Giang Provincial Union of Science and Technology Associations organized a scientific workshop to consult and critique the draft plan for the collection, transportation, and treatment of solid household waste in the province for the period 2025-2030. When apprehended by the Kien Giang Provincial Border Guard, the captain of the fishing vessel confessed that 21,000 liters of diesel fuel were purchased from an unknown vessel with the intention of reselling it for profit… A summary of news from the Ethnic and Development Newspaper. The morning news bulletin on March 15th includes the following noteworthy information: Bat Trang Village Festival is a National Intangible Cultural Heritage; the unique beauty of Tay Ninh Holy See; an elderly farmer transforms barren hills into a prosperous farm; and other current events in ethnic minority and mountainous regions. In recent days, although no official decision has been made on the provincial merger plan, the real estate market in the areas slated for merger has experienced significant fluctuations. Misinformation has led to a frenzy of land acquisition by residents and investors, creating an artificial boom. The national conference "The Party's Theoretical Work and Important Research Orientations to 2030, Vision to 2045" is of particular importance, contributing to the summary of 10 years of implementing Resolution No. 37-NQ/TW, dated October 9, 2014, of the Politburo (11th term) on "Theoretical Work and Research Orientations to 2030". At the same time, important research directions were set forth to serve the planning and implementation of strategic policies, bringing about revolutionary transformations and elevating the Party's theoretical work. Since the Lunar New Year, favorable weather conditions have allowed fishing boats in the Tinh Ky sea area of ​​Quang Ngai city to go out to sea and harvest many types of seafood, with anchovies being the most abundant. Currently, regulations on salaries in both the state and enterprise sectors are linked to administrative units. Therefore, parallel to the rearrangement and merger of provinces, these regulations will also have to be adjusted. Responding to the call of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, "The whole country joins hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses with all resources and new approaches," Thai Nguyen province is resolutely implementing a plan to realize the dream of "stable housing and stable livelihoods" for thousands of households.

The center of Ia Grai district is developing quite dynamically.

Impressive results

The Secretary of the Ia Grai District Party Committee, Tong Thoi Moc, is usually calm and reserved, but when we prompted him about the district's innovations, steps, and approaches, he became enthusiastic and lively. Secretary Tong Thoi Moc affirmed: "Although there are still certain obstacles on the path forward, the Party Committee, the government, and the people of all ethnic groups in Ia Grai are always proactive, creative, united, sharing, and helping each other to build a new life."

According to the Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the District People's Committee, Le Ngoc Quy, the outstanding achievement of Ia Grai in 2024 was a total production value exceeding 16,131 billion VND, an increase of 11.85% compared to 2023. State budget revenue reached nearly 863 billion VND. Average per capita income reached 53 million VND/year, an increase of 3.17 million VND compared to 2023. National target programs were implemented synchronously and effectively.

In early 2025, we visited Ia O commune and met with the Chairman of the People's Committee, Siu Nghiep. He enthusiastically shared that Ia O is a border commune, adjacent to Andoung Meas district, Ratanakiri province, Cambodia. Here, ethnic minorities make up the majority of the population, and socio -economic conditions still face many difficulties. Following the district's policy, leveraging internal resources, potential, advantages, and investments from the Party and State, the commune has now achieved 19 out of 19 criteria for new rural development; 100% of commune and inter-commune roads, village roads, and nearly 90% of main internal field roads have been paved; and all 9 villages have built community centers.

The Ia Grai District Party Committee advocates for practical and effective twinning programs between district-level agencies and individual villages.

Further up in Ia Tô commune, we visited Mr. Pham Quoc Truong's house. He told us: "In 1996, my family moved here from Hai Duong province to start a new life. Rising from hardship, my family now owns 2.5 hectares of coffee intercropped with 200 durian trees, 200 pepper plants, and about 20 rambutan trees. Annually, our family's income reaches nearly 2 billion VND after deducting expenses." Mr. Truong added that households earning billions of VND in Ia Tô are no longer rare.

Building on the momentum of victory, we move forward with unwavering confidence.

On its development journey towards 2030 and with a vision for 2050, Party Secretary Tong Thoi Moc affirmed that Ia Grai will focus on innovating its growth model and restructuring its economy towards a green and sustainable direction. Simultaneously, it will effectively address challenges, accelerate the construction of new rural areas, and attract investment in industry, services, and trade. The goal is to achieve rapid and sustainable economic development, harmonized with cultural preservation, narrowing the gap between rich and poor, ensuring social security, and improving the quality of life for its people.

The dugout canoe racing festival on the Po Ko River is held annually at the beginning of spring.

Along with economic development, the locality prioritizes the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values. In particular, the annual dugout canoe racing festival on the Pô Kô River, combined with the display of characteristic products, attracts over 30,000 visitors each year. The entire district has 131 ethnic minority villages, and these villages still preserve approximately 748 valuable sets of gongs and drums; more than 20 dugout canoes are currently preserved in Ia O and Ia Khai communes.

Ia Grai also has great potential for tourism development with scenic spots such as: Mo Waterfall, Ia Blo Stream, purple grass fields (Ia Khai commune); Nine-Tier Waterfall (Ia Ba commune); Le Kim Waterfall (Ia To commune); the Se San hydroelectric reservoir tourist area, Se San 4 hydroelectric lake fishing village (Ia O commune); Chu Nghe Victory Monument (Ia Krai commune)... In particular, the A Sanh Ferry Terminal, the prototype in the legendary song "The Ferryman on the Po Ko River" by musician Cam Phong, is always attractive and inviting to visitors from all over.

It is clearly visible that a "revolution" is taking place in the Ia Grai border region, where the combined intelligence of officials is being used to concretize policies and resolutions into practice, creating a new rhythm of life along the Po Ko River...

Ia Grai (Gia Lai) focuses on developing sustainable tourism.

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/nhip-song-moi-ben-dong-song-po-ko-1742207601026.htm