In mid-October, Ha Van Sem (born in 1959), a Thai ethnic and a member of the farmers’ association of Na Chieng hamlet, Na Phon commune (Mai Chau), was the only representative of Hoa Binh province to be named in the top 100 outstanding farmers nationwide

Ha
Van Sem (far left), an outstanding Vietnamese farmer in 2023, succeeds with a
model of community-based tourism associated with high-end resort services.
Sem shared: "My family has been doing this
job since 2017. In the process of accumulating experience and expanding the
model, I fearlessly built several stilt houses and works to serve tourists.
Having achieved the current results, I do not forget the encouragement and help
of all-level agencies, especially the district and commune farmers'
associations, which have created conditions for me to approach, grasp market
needs, and take vocational classes on tour guides, cooking, and restaurant
management.”
Currently, his family has a spacious,
environmentally friendly homestay with service prices ranging from 1.5 - 2
million VND (61-82 USD) per stilt house per day. Tourists can rent luxury
accommodations fully equipped with living amenities for 1.5 million VND per
room per day.
Currently, many tourists choose Sem's
homestay facility. He himself is continuously learning and gaining experience
to serve visitors thoughtfully and increasingly professionally. In 021 - 2023,
his facility has achieved an average revenue of 1.3 billion VND a year, with a
profit of 700 - 800 million VND. Sem’s model is welcoming more and more foreign
visitors, mainly from Europe and Asia, along with domestic holiday-makers from
Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and Thai Binh. The facility creates jobs for 11
labourers with an average income of over 5 million VND a person a month.
In particular, as a "leader" of
farmers working in tourism, he personally actively helps other members by
creating jobs from tourism-related services, encourages others to protect the
environment, ensure food hygiene and safety, and get engaged in social work and
movements in the locality. He also regularly encourages and helps association
members to develop business and tourism services imbued with Thai ethnic
identity.
In late March, 29 labourers from Da Bac district were sent to work as seasonal farm workers in Buyeo county, Chungcheongnam province, the Republic of Korea (RoK). Upon arrival, they quickly settled into their jobs, enjoying good working conditions and benefits, with wages aligned with the terms of their signed contracts. The programme is now being expanded, with relevant departments and sectors actively seeking additional seasonal employment opportunities in various localities across the RoK.
Luong Son Industrial Park has invested in standardised wastewater and emissions treatment systems, enforced tight emission controls, reduced noise, dust, and solid waste, and expanded green spaces, contributing to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development.
Hoa Binh police are collecting public feedback on amendments to the 2013 Constitution via the national identification app VNeID. This innovative approach marks a giant leap towards modernising grassroots democracy and enhancing transparency in public consultation.
A total public investment capital of 113 billion VND (over 4.3 million USD) was disbursed for a project to upgrade infrastructure and stabilise residents in the vicinity of the Da River reservoir between 2021 and the first quarter of 2025, giving a facelift to local rural areas and improving the quality of people's life.
Since the end of 2023-2024 academic year, Cu Yen Primary and Secondary School in Luong Son district has deployed e-study records for all of its 500 primary students, said the school principal Nguyen Thi Tuyen.
The Labour Federation of Hoa Binh city has actively worked to protect the rights and welfare of nearly 8,000 local workers and union members at 152 grassroots unions. Through regular dialogues, education campaigns, and welfare programmes, the federation has helped foster stable, progressive labour relations.