Hanoi (VNA)ཧ – Essential commodities have landed on Tho Chau island commune in Phu Quoc district, in the southern province of Kien Giang, to serve local people, officers and soldiers during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

Tho Chau commune, about 210 km off Rach Gia city centre, was established in April 1993 and is now home to more than 2,000 residents. In order to raise locals’ spiritual life, the communal authorities and units based in the locality planned a string of activities, especially during the traditional holiday. Due to the far geological distance, Tet has become the most anticipated event to not only local people but for officers and soldiers stationed there, who are unable to return home for family reunion as they are on duty. According to Colonel Pham Quang Oanh, Political Commissar of the Military Zone 4’s High Command, apart from ensuring the material and spiritual life for the officers and soldiers, the unit has coordinated with local authorities to visit families of social beneficiaries and disadvantaged people. At the same time, the unit always stays ready to ensure a peaceful Tet holiday for local residents, he pledged. Mai Van Huynh, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said Kien Giang is due to present gifts to 26,158 social beneficiaries and the elderly, and 32,400 poor and near-poor households to help them enjoy a warm holiday. In the border district of Giang Thanh, for example, more than 1,000 poor and near-poor households received Tet gifts, each worth 500,000 VND (22.5 USD), thanks to the support of donors and the local budget. Meanwhile, in remote U Minh Thuong district, roads are decorated colourfully to welcome the New Year. More than 2,240 gifts worth over 1.12 billion VND (50,400 USD) have come to local poor and near-poor households. Batches of goods of stablised prices have been also transported to border communes of Lai Son, San Son, Nam Du and Hon Tre in Kien Hai district . All poor and near-poor households in these communes will also get Tet gifts, said Vice Chairman of Kien Hai district People’s Committee Le Minh Trung. In the central Highlands province of Dak Lak, hundreds of ethnic minority households will celebrate the New Year holiday in their new houses built with the support of businesses and donors. Nguyen Hai Ninh, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said tens of billions of Vietnam dong were mobilised last year to help build houses for ethnic minority people .-VNA