Promoting the role of prestigious people and village elders in Drang Phok village

Village elder Y Phưn Ksơ (77 years old), the prestigious man - Mr. Y Mốk Hra (67 years old) have become the spiritual support, contributing to fostering the great solidarity, building Drang Phốk village to change more and more. Both are people who are trusted by the community for their exemplary and responsible behavior.

Drang Phok village is located in the core area of Yok Don National Park, 20 km from the center of Buon Don commune; the whole village has 146 households with 537 people, of which ethnic minorities account for 80%, including 7 ethnic groups living together.

Village elder Y Phưn Ksor and his wife (in Drang Phốk hamlet, Buon Don commune) review memories of his time in the youth volunteer force.

Drang Phok village has a long history with many stories surrounding the establishment of the village; although his memory is not as complete as before, old Y Phún still remembers the story of H'Rang and Phok associated with the birth of the village that his grandparents passed down by word of mouth. The story goes that: In ancient times, a girl named H'Rang lived by the upstream river of Ban Don area. Before the Lao people came to live in the late 18th - early 19th century, a boy named Phok from the downstream came here. They met, fell in love and established the first residence. From the name of that couple, the community later called the land Drang Phok.

Not only a “living archive” of culture, old man Y Phun is also a witness to the historical periods of Buon Don commune. In 1973, he joined the guerrillas of Cu Min commune (Ea Sup district), and after liberation, he continued to work as a youth volunteer to reclaim land in the fields of Jang village (now the fields of village 16, Ea Wer commune). On the battlefield or in production, he always maintained a sense of responsibility, contributing to the construction of new lands.

Mr. Y Mok Hra and officers of Serepok Border Guard Station patrol the roads within Drang Phok village (Buon Don commune).

If old Y Phún is a cultural symbol, then Mr. Y Mốk is the bridge connecting the government and the people of Drang Phốk village. As one of the first people in the village to be literate, having worked in the forest rangers and the cultural sector, Mr. Y Mốk Hra has devoted almost his entire life to accompanying the development of the village. Thanks to his broad knowledge and closeness to the people, he is an important channel of information, contributing to the effective implementation of policies and guidelines.

For ethnic minorities, the village elder not only has prestige but is also the keeper of the village’s cultural soul. In Drang Phok, that role is most clearly demonstrated through the understanding and dedication of elder Y Phún Ksor.

Village elder Y Phưn Ksơr (Drang Phốk hamlet, Buon Don commune) tells the story of the time he joined the guerrillas in Min commune (former Ea Sup district - 1973) to fight against FULRO.

Every year, Drang Phok village regularly organizes the Water Wharf Worship Ceremony on the occasion of Lunar New Year and the Cloud and Rain Praying Ceremony in August every year. These are important rituals in the lives of the M'Nong, Ede, J'Rai communities living in Drang Phok. Elder Y Phún is the only person who can remember the entire prayer, each step of the ritual and plays the role of master of ceremonies on each occasion.

Meanwhile, Mr. Y Mốk Hra has made an important contribution to strengthening the grassroots political system. The Drang Phốk hamlet Party cell currently has 12 party members, and the mass organizations operate in a disciplined manner. Promoting the role of a party member, Mr. Y Mốk Hra always proactively coordinates with the Party Committee and the government to grasp the people's thoughts, propose appropriate propaganda content, especially in the issue of crop conversion, ensuring security and order, and implementing population and environmental policies.

Leaders of Buon Don Commune Party Committee awarded the 30-year Party membership badge to

Comrade Sao Y Me, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Buon Don commune, awarded the 30-year Party membership badge to Mr. Y Mok Hra (right cover) of Drang Phok commune Party cell and Mr. Le Huu Long of Ea Rong commune Party cell.

Thanks to that, patriotic emulation movements spread to every household, such as: The elderly with the movement "Old age, bright example"; Veterans participating in Party and government building; Farmers converting production models, applying new techniques; Women actively participating in the movement "5 no, 3 clean"; Youth taking the lead in digital transformation, volunteering for the community.

Social security work has received high consensus among the ethnic communities in Drang Phok village. Since the beginning of 2025, people have supported the "Repaying gratitude" and "For the poor" funds with more than 4.5 million VND; and supported people in disaster areas with more than 2 million VND. The village has been supported to build 13 new houses for disadvantaged households, including 1 Great Solidarity house worth 80 million VND... The above results are proof of the strong solidarity of the ethnic communities in Drang Phok village.

The entire Drang Phok village has 112 hectares of production land, of which 40 hectares are used for two- and one-crop rice cultivation. The increasingly stable productivity is the result of consensus, including the leading role of village elders and prestigious people in mobilizing people to change production models, expand livestock farming, limit backward customs, and build a civilized life.

Leaders of the Party Committee of Buon Don commune presented flowers and gifts to celebrate the Great Unity Day in Drang Pho village.

Leaders of the Party Committee of Buon Don commune presented flowers to congratulate the Great Unity Day in Drang Phok village.

National defense and security work is maintained. The prestigious Mr. Y Mok plays an important role in promoting the National Border Defense Day, raising vigilance, and coordinating to protect border sovereignty. In 2025, the village will have 3 young men recruited for military service, meeting the assigned target, continuing the tradition of responsibility of the previous generation.

Thanks to the example set by the village elders and prestigious people, Drang Phok hamlet has been awarded the title of “Cultural hamlet” for many years in a row. In 2025, 134 households were awarded the title of “Cultural family”; sports and cultural activities are regularly maintained, creating a rich spiritual life and connecting the community.

Representatives of the People's Committee leaders met and discussed with

Leaders of Buon Don Commune People's Committee and agencies, departments and branches met and discussed with Mr. Y Mok Hra.

Mr. Duy Phu Bkrong, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Buon Don commune, affirmed: “The role of village elders and prestigious people in Drang Phok is not only through words, but also through the lives, prestige and dedication of people like Mr. Y Phưn Ksor and Mr. Y Mốk Hra. They are the spiritual support, the bridge between tradition and modernity, creating motivation for Drang Phok to develop and maintain the great national unity bloc”.

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