Honouring village patriarchs and typical Catholics has long been a traditional practice in this district that is home to 7 nationalities, of which 8 per cent are ethnic minority people, including the Tay, Nung, San Diu, Dao, Muong, Hoa. Besides, Catholics is one of the two main religions in this area, with 5 Catholic groups living mostly in Thanh Cong, Minh Duc, Phuc Thuan commune…

The meeting hailed the patriarchs and Catholics who have excelled in their role as heads of the villages. They take the lead in implementing State policies and restructuring the agricultural production where their objective is to increase the volume of goods for sale rather than for self-sufficiency. They also go door to door to encourage the local people to practise grassroots democracy and to abrogate backward customs, contributing to maintain social security and solidarity between nationalities and religions.

In the movement "People unite to build cultural life", the village patriarchs and Catholic dignitaries in Pho Yen district have played the role of a bridge between people and the State. Many mountainous villages and areas domiciling lots of Catholics have been granted the title "Advanced Community", "Cultural Village" such as Viet Cuong hamlet (Dong Cao commune), Dam Muong hamlet (Minh Duc commune), Khe Lanh hamlet, Coong Leng hamlet (Phuc Thuan commune)… as well as the title "Cultural Family" for their many households.