A new chapter for revolutionary land of Loc Ninh

At 5 p.m. on April 7, 1972, a historic moment unfolded for the Party Committee, authority, armed forces, and people of Loc Ninh District, part of former Binh Phuoc Province, as it became the first locality in the South to achieve complete liberation. This event made a significant contribution to creating a strategic breakthrough in the cause of liberating the South and reunifying the country.

The road leading to the administrative center of Loc Ninh Commune. Photo: Xuan Tuc

In line with the two-tier local government reorganization, from July 1, Loc Ninh Commune - home to historical sites such as the Giao Te House and Loc Ninh Airport - was formed from the entirety of Loc Ninh Townlet, Loc Thai and Loc Thuan Communes. In its initial phase, the commune’s administrative apparatus has been consolidated in accordance with regulations, operating stably and smoothly to meet the demands of the new situation.

When the land of steel in bloom

In early August, upon visiting the hamlets and villages of Loc Ninh Commune, the most striking impression of this revolutionary countryside is that all roads have been asphalted or concreted, adorned with flags and flowers. Interspersed are clusters of blossoms, planted and cared for by residents themselves to enhance the living environment. On several main routes currently undergoing upgrades and expansion, manpower and resources have been mobilized to accelerate project progress.

Deeply attached to the revolutionary land of Loc Ninh for years, Tang Van Khoa, Secretary of Hamlet 6 Party Cell in Loc Thai, Loc Ninh Commune, said with delight that 100% of roads in the hamlet have now been concreted under the “State and people working together” approach. Wherever roads are built, residents voluntarily donate land to widen them to at least four meters. Along both sides, villagers plant flowers to beautify the landscape. Improved transport has helped raise locals’ living standards. Hamlet 6, with 226 households and 850 residents, has had no poor or near-poor households since 2023.

Fifty-three years after liberation, building on the proud legacy of earlier generations under the Party’s leadership, the armed forces and people of Loc Ninh Commune have been striving to achieve new successes. Material and spiritual life has markedly improved, while the commune’s appearance has become increasingly well-developed, resembling a dynamic, livable rural area.

Between 2020 and 2025, the commune’s economic structure has shifted in the right direction. Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries still account for 55% of the local economy; however, residents have begun switching to industrial and fruit crops, along with actively applying new scientific and technical methods to increase crop value per unit of land.

Industry and construction have continued to post solid growth, making up 21% of the economy. Sectors are being developed based on local strengths, such as cashew nut processing and steel mesh production.

Meanwhile, trade, tourism, and services have expanded widely, meeting the consumption and production needs of residents. Currently, the commune has 2,055 commercial and service establishments, mostly small-scale businesses. Local markets are constantly being upgraded and renovated, while transport services are becoming more diverse to meet travel and goods circulation needs. By the end of 2024, the commune’s average per capita income reached VND 89 million per year.

Nguyen Su, Head of the Fatherland Front Working Committee of Hamlet 3B in Loc Thuan, Loc Ninh Commune, said the hamlet, with 299 households and more than 1,100 residents, no longer has any poor households. However, to further improve living conditions, the hamlet’s management board has been carefully reviewing housing difficulties to arrange support. Since early 2025, the hamlet has coordinated with higher-level authorities to build new great unity houses and is currently proposing three more new houses and the repair of four others, all of which are expected to be completed and handed over within the year.

Nguyen Thi Nghia, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Loc Ninh Commune People’s Committee, said that in the 2020-2025 term, the commune has achieved many impressive results, with 10 out of 30 targets in the Party Congress resolution already exceeded.

“From these achievements, one of our goals in the next term is to enable Loc Ninh to achieve the goal of becoming an advanced new-style rural commune. To this end, the commune People’s Committee will focus on mobilizing all resources to continue investing in infrastructure, especially rural roads to improve inter-regional and inter-commune connectivity and link internal roads, thereby facilitating trade and contributing to socio-economic growth,” Chairwoman of Loc Ninh People’s Committee Nghia added.

Hopes for a breakthrough

The Loc Ninh Party Committee was established from the merger of three units: the Party Committees of Loc Ninh Town, Loc Thuan and Loc Thai Communes. It currently has 51 subordinate cells and committees with 1,035 members. The first Party Congress of Loc Ninh Commune for the 2025-2030 term is a significant political event, marking an extensive political activity and raising expectations for a new chapter in the revolutionary land of Loc Ninh.

Ahead of this important event, retired officials, residents, and businesses in this former “resistance capital” expressed absolute trust and high expectations for the local leadership as well as the commune’s development in the new period.

Truong Van Phuc, former Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and former Chairman of the Loc Ninh District People’s Committee, noted that overall, the commune enjoys more advantages than other localities as it has inherited part of the achievements of the former Loc Ninh District. What impressed him most was that the draft political report for the first Party Congress of the 2025-2030 term has clearly set out targets, goals, and strategic breakthroughs based on the commune’s potential and advantages.

He expressed confidence that with a young, dynamic, and well-trained leadership team, the commune will persist with its goals and gradually realize its aspiration to make Loc Ninh a model commune of the new Dong Nai Province.

As the owner of a passenger transport business with more than 100 vehicles, Le Anh Diep, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Hoang Yen Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, said: “In the coming time, with the policies already in place, we hope that Loc Ninh’s leaders will introduce more measures to support private-sector growth. In addition, the commune should increase dialogues to listen to and promptly address businesses’ challenges, while playing a bridging role to create conditions for cooperation and greater contributions to the local economy.”

For the 2025-2030 term, the Loc Ninh Commune Party Committee has set 20 specific targets, including an annual total budget revenue growth rate of 7%; 100% disbursement of allocated capital for basic construction; and an average annual growth rate of total product value of 9.5%. Each year, the commune will coordinate to establish 3-5 businesses and have 3-5 OCOP products rated three stars. By the end of the term, it aims to meet advanced new-style rural standards, with per capita income reaching VND 135 million per year by 2030.

Highlighting some of the commune’s strengths and advantages, Nguyen Gia Hoa, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Loc Ninh Commune People’s Council, said its greatest advantage is inheriting achievements in all fields of economic, cultural, social, and defense-security of the former Loc Ninh District. The commune also benefits from a plentiful labor force and a strong tradition of solidarity, which facilitates the implementation of Party and State policies and local movements.

Its system of small household businesses and medium-sized enterprises facilitates economic growth, ensuring budget revenues to invest in development and improve living standards.

In the time ahead, the commune will focus on leading and directing economic restructuring, orienting toward trade and service development, and continuing to invest in social welfare policies, sustainable poverty reduction, and improved living conditions. At the same time, it will strengthen public security to create a favorable environment for residents and businesses to work, produce, and contribute more to the sustainable development of Loc Ninh.

By Xuan Tuc

Translated by M.Nguyet-Thu Ha