ILOILO CITY – The province of Guimaras is the fastest growing economy in the Western Visayas region in 2021.
Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Guimaras posted an economic growth rate of 7.7 percent last year.
PSA-Guimaras Chief Statistical Specialist Nelida Losare said this was a big rebound for Guimaras which registered an economic growth rate of -5.1 percent in 2020, the year the pandemic began.
The 7.7 percent economic growth rate in 2021 was fueled mainly by agriculture, forestry, and fishing in the province’s five towns: Buenavista, Jordan, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo, and Sibunag.
Speaking during the Dec. 14 forum on Provincial Product Accounts of Guimaras, Losare also disclosed that Gross Provincial Domestic Product (GPDP) increased to P14.8 billion compared to P13.7 billion in 2020.
The 7.7 percent economic growth of Guimaras is higher than the 5.9 percent growth of the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of Western Visayas in 2021.
Guimaras is an island-province known for having one of the sweetest varieties of mangoes in the country. Its economy is still mainly anchored on agriculture and tourism.