In hard-to-reach hamlets such as Vinh Quang 2 in Tuy Phuoc Dong commune, rebuilding efforts faced severe logistical challenges after roads were cut off by floods. Construction materials had to be ferried in stages across rivers and mangrove forests, with soldiers making dozens of boat trips a day to supply a single house. Despite the conditions, officers and soldiers from Corps 34 remained on site for nearly 30 consecutive days to ensure uninterrupted progress.
Major Le Thanh Tay, Deputy Political Commissar of Battalion 7 under Corps 34, said around 50 officers and soldiers were mobilised and divided into six teams to handle transportation, construction and logistics simultaneously. “The work is heavy and conditions are tough, but everyone is determined to finish as quickly as possible so people can have new homes before Tet,” he said.
Local resident Huynh Van Duc noted that construction costs in the Con Chim area are significantly higher due to transportation. A stone block that costs about 4,000 VND (approximately USD 0.16) on the mainland rises to 14,000 VND (about USD 0.56) once delivered to the hamlet. With military support, he said, each household saved more than 100 million VND (around USD 4,000), while construction time was cut by one to two months.
Elsewhere in Tuy Phuoc Dong commune, nine houses overseen by Regiment 739 of the Provincial Military Command are nearing completion.
Lieutenant Colonel Huynh Khac Nhan, the regiment’s deputy commander and chief of staff, said seven of the homes include mezzanine floors and all meet the “three solid” standards, with foundations built above historic flood levels to ensure long-term safety.
In Tuy Phuoc Bac commune, the house of Le Thi Cuc, 68, is in its final stages after nearly a month of continuous work by provincial military personnel. “This Tet, I have a new house thanks to the soldiers,” she said. “They worked from morning till night, regardless of sun or rain.”
On January 4, Le Thi Hoa, 68, received her new 50-square-metre home in Tuy Phuoc Tay commune. The house was built at a total cost of 170 million VND (about USD 6,800), funded by provincial and local authorities, donors and her family. For Hoa, who raised her child alone after her husband’s death, the home represents security in her old age.
Earlier, on January 2, Naval Region 3 Command handed over three houses in Tuy Phuoc Dong commune to families whose homes were destroyed by storms and floods.
Among the recipients was Mai Thi Khuong, over 90, who realised her long-held wish for a solid home. “This house not only shelters my mother from rain and sun, but is her greatest comfort in old age,” her son Tran Dong Chanh said.
Families receiving the new homes were also provided with essential household items, including beds, wardrobes, fans, stoves, blankets and mosquito nets, to help them quickly stabilise their lives.
According to Colonel Mai Kim Binh, Political Commissar of the Provincial Military Command, 43 new houses were handed over across the province in the first phase on January 4. A further 57 are scheduled for completion on January 10.
Major General Tran Minh Trong, Deputy Political Commissar of Military Region 5, said that under the “Quang Trung Campaign”, the military region established 610 construction teams and 314 repair teams, deploying more than 148,000 personnel to support housing projects in several provinces, including Gia Lai. Units under the Ministry of National Defense are also building 188 additional houses. Nearly 150 homes have been completed after just over a month.
“Storms and floods may sweep away many things, but they cannot wash away human kindness,” he said. “As new homes rise, it is not just the return of shelter, but the return of hope”.
