Zamboanga Peninsula, other Mindanao regions post high growth in 2012

MANILA, Philippines - Zamboanga Peninsula registered a strong 12.4 percent economic growth in 2012, from a mere 0.1 percent in 2011, enabling it to post the fastest growth among the country’s 17 regions last year.

In contrast, the economy of Eastern Visayas contracted 6.2 percent last year from a 2.1 percent growth in 2011.

According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the impressive economic performance of Zamboanga Peninsula was due to the accelerated growth of the industry and services sectors.

The Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.6 percent last year.

The top five fastest growing regions in 2012 also included Caraga with 10.6 percent; Central Visayas, 9.3 percent; Cagayan Valley, 8.2 percent; and the South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-Gen. Santos City (Socsargen) with 8.1 percent.

Out of the country’s 17 regions, 14 posted accelerated growth from 2011 to 2012 with Zamboanga Peninsula also posting the biggest jump.

Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon (Calabarzon) followed with a growth rate of 5.3 percent, Bicol with 5.2 percent, Metro Manila by 4.2 percent, and the Davao region by 3.7 percent.

NSCB secretary general Jose Ramon G. Albert said the National Capital Region (NCR) remained with the largest share of the country’s total output with a 35.7 percent share in 2012, slightly higher than the 35.6 percent recorded in 2011.

It was followed by Calabarzon with a share of 17.4 percent and Central Luzon with 9.2 percent.

On the other hand, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) had the lowest share of 0.8 percent to the country’s GDP.

Luzon’s economy (excluding NCR) accelerated from 3.3 percent in 2011 to 6.3 percent in 2012 while the economy of Mindanao posted a robust growth of 8.2 percent in 2012, almost double its 4.2 percent growth in 2011.

Meanwhile, the economy of the Visayas island group remained constant with 5.6 percent growth in 2011 and 2012.

NCR posted the highest per capita gross regional domestic product (GRDP) at P183,747, nearly three times the national average. This level of per capita GRDP was 5.6 percent more than its per capita GRDP in 2011.

Aside from NCR, two other regions, Calabarzon and Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), reported per capita GRDP higher than the national average at P82,393 and P73,573, respectively.

Meanwhile, ARMM had the lowest per capita GRDP among the regions at P14,321.