GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 1 (PIA)-- Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) 12 Regional Director, Atty. Maqtahar Manulon reported the 2020 Economic Performance of Soccsksargen Region in a News Conference Thursday as he cited the impact of COVID-19 pandemic to the regional economy and that of the country as a whole.
Manulon disclosed that the economy of Soccsksargen contracted or declined by 4.3 percent in 2020 from a 3.5% growth in 2019 as both the industry and services sectors suffered reversals.
“The largest contractions were recorded in other services, 44.6%; transportation and storage, 33.52 percent; and accommodation and food services activities, 34.5%,” he said.
Manulon explained that the Region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020 was recorded at Php435 Billion from the P470 Billion in 2019.
Despite the contraction, Manulon said that a 1.5 % growth was noted in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries.
He, however, clarified that the increase was not enough to keep the regional economy afloat.
Manulon also presented the unemployment rate in Soccsksargen last year. He said the number of unemployed in the region reached 393,417 as of April 2020 when the country was under the Enhanced Community Quarantine status.
However, the number decreased to 143,340 as of July 2020 and further reduced to 127, 023 in October 2020 with the downgrade of quarantine restrictions.
As to the performance of Soccsksargen in relation to other regions, Manulon disclosed that all regions in the country also contracted in 2020.
“Seven regions posted higher contractions compared to the national average of -9.6 %,” he said.
These are the National Capital Region at -10.1; Cordillera Autonomous Region, and Region II with -9.9%; Region III with -13.9; Region IV-A with -10.5%; Region VI with -9.7; and Region VIII with -9.9.
Although Soccsksargen recorded a 4.3% contraction, he clarified, that it performed better compared to others where it was recorded at second lowest contraction among the 17 regions of the country next to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with -1.9 percent.
Manulon explained that based on the structure of regional economies in the country only Region IV-A or Calabarzon region is predominantly industrial while the rest of the regions including Soccsksargen are predominantly service based and no region is predominantly agricultural that’s why the growth in agriculture in the region was not enough to compensate the contraction.
Meanwhile, PSA SarGen Provincial Director Ismael Ramos Jr., expressed optimism that the economy will bounce back to normal if the pandemic ends.
In an interview over Philippine Information Agency Region 12’s Inform, Inform, Inform radio program on Thursday afternoon, he said that all the regions in the country are doing their best to implement the different programs and projects of the government to mitigate the impact of the pandemic especially on the health and economic side.
“Siguro naman kung mawala itong pandemic na ito, I think we can go back to normal basta religiously we implement the government programs and projects walang imposible na talagang makakaovercome tayo doon sa pagka lugmok ng ekonomiya natin in this 2020,” he told the Philippine Information Agency.
Ramos cited the implementation of the Philippine ID Sytem or PhilSys which could help the government and the private sectors plan their programs and projects that are anchored on the needs of the people to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
“Ini-strengthen ng ating gobyerno ang programs and projects sa different sectors natin sa agriculture, sa services, industry. I think makakabangon tayo nito all we have to do sama sama nating i-implement ng mabuti yung mga programa ng gobyerno like itong implementation po natin ng PhilSys in which napakalaki po ng tulong nyan kung matatapos natin yan sa target natin by year 2022. Ma register lahat ng tao, this would develop to improved services ng ating gobyerno as well as the private sectors kasi through this program maanchor yung mga programa ng gobyerno through the different national line agencies….anchored na lahat ng mga services mapadali yung ating serbisyo sa ating mga constituents,” he said. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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