Dinagat leads Mindanao provinces in economic growth
SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR—Dinagat Islands, which is constantly battered by storms, recorded a 9.6-percent economic growth in 2024, making it the fastest-growing province in Mindanao, according to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.
The growth is a rapid turnaround from a 4.6 percent contraction in 2022. The province’s impressive economic performance in 2024 signals a consistent rebound, following a 5.3 percent growth in 2023.
Dinagat’s growth was largely fueled by the 20.7-percent surge in mining and quarrying which had driven the expansion of industry. Large-scale mining operations are present in Cagdianao, Loreto, Tubajon and Libjo towns, mostly to extract nickel.
Other growth drivers are agriculture, forestry and fishery (13.1 percent), and transportation and storage (11.8 percent).
As of 2024, industrial output accounted for 53.2 percent of total economic output in the province, services at 41.5 percent and agriculture at just 5.3 percent.
With gross domestic production at P13.84 billion in 2024, per capita income is estimated at P114,790.
Poverty rate
But this rapid economic growth paints only part of the picture as poverty remains a persistent challenge for the province.
While Caraga region saw an overall drop in poverty among families in 2023, Dinagat Islands was an exception. Its poverty incidence among families slightly climbed to 30.7 percent, from 30.3 percent in 2021. Poverty among individuals rose to 37.8 percent in 2023, from 37.1 percent in 2021.
Gov. Nilo Demerey Jr. said they were hopeful that through the provincial government’s people-focused programs, the province’s growth would eventually be felt by farmers, fisherfolk and small enterprises.
He cited the building of farm-to-market roads, improvements in health-care service delivery and tourism as key pillars for inclusive development.
Another Mindanao province buoyed by mining is Zamboanga del Sur.
In 2024, the provincial economy grew at 4.8 percent, slightly lower than the 4.9 percent growth a year earlier.
This growth, according to the PSA, was fueled by mining and quarrying activities, which accounted for 23.9 percent of the provincial economy’s increased value of production.
One large-scale mining company is operating in Bayog town, mainly for gold extraction, while around 60 firms were given permits for quarrying within the province, feeding the surging needs of the construction industry, especially for the building of public infrastructure.
Other drivers of Zamboanga del Sur’s 2024 growth are transportation and storage (18.2 percent), and accommodation and food service (16.8 percent).
Despite its vast agriculture potentials, the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector posted a decline of 3.7 percent.
