By
Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY – In spite of the El Nino phenomenon and sporadic power
outages since last year, the economy in the city and in the region has been
vibrant, and gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth rate is steadily
increasing for the past three years, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported
last week.
Mewchun
Pamaran, PSA regional director shared that the GRDP for 2015 was
Php157-billion, compared to 2014’s Php146-billion. “For the last three years,
there has been an upward trend.”
She
explained that although the fishing and agricultural sector were affected by El
Nino or the dry spell, the economy was saved by the construction and
manufacturing sectors.
Zamboanga
City was found out to be the biggest contributor to the GRDP, due to the
presence of the sardine industry here. But more than that, the recent sprouting
of new malls and commercial centers have contributed to the increase in GRDP,
as well as provided new jobs to locals.
National
Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Teresita Socorro Ramos,
said “employment improved very much”, adding that for 2015, it has registered
96 percent growth.
“Investments
also grew, amounting to over 1-billion pesos, more than our targets,” Ramos
said.
The
vibrant economy, said Ramos cannot be equated to poverty reduction, but “indeed
it is a big factor that contributes to poverty reduction.”
Meanwhile,
Ramos called on other LGUs to replicate the economic vibrance of Zamboanga
City, warning of the dangers if ever Zamboanga City “asks for autonomy.” Ramos
said “at present, the RGDP is largely dependent on the economy of the city, and
if this is replicated in the other cities and towns, the regional economy will
even be stronger.”
“Our
challenge,” said Ramos “is to have a Zamboanga City in other areas of the
region.”
In
2015, Zamboanga City has been beset with numerous problems such as very slow internet
connectivity, sporadic power outages, and surge in population. Yet, according
to the PSA, as the figures show, there has been no significant impact to the
economic growth here.
“If now we have these
problems and still experience a good economy, what more if we have better
services,” said Ramos.