CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the Mimaropa region (Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) registered a 4.7 percent growth and its economy was valued at P411.4 billion in 2023.

LENI Rioflorido (third from left), PSA-Mimaropa chief, presents the region’s economic performance from 2021 to 2023. (Photo courtesy of Ruel Mazon via Jerry Alcayde)

PSA-Mimaropa chief Leni R. Rioflorido said the region’s economy was valued at P393 billion in 2022 and surpassed its pre-pandemic economic performance with a margin of P24.7 billion compared to 2019.

“Mimaropa is the third fastest growth region in the country when its services grew by 8.8 percent in 2023, attributed mainly to agriculture, forestry, and fishing which grew by 6.2 percent in 2023 from a 2.4 percent decline in 2022,” she said in a press conference on the 2021 to 2023 regional accounts of the region on April 25 in this city.

Tourism showed a sustained recovery when accommodation and food service activities had a 30.9 percent growth. Other compulsory social activities and public administration and defense followed at 16 percent.

However, the region’s industries posted a 1.8 percent decline in 2023 due to reduction in mining and quarrying by 18 percent and manufacturing by 4.9 percent, the PSA said.

Maria Liezl L. Magbojos, chief statistical specialist of PSA-Mimaropa, however, said that despite the decline, the region had the third largest share of the total mining and quarrying in the country.

The per capita gross regional domestic product (GRDP) or the contribution of each resident in the region to the economy increased 3.6 percent to P125,390 in 2023 from P120,999 in 2022.

Expenditures of residents grew by 4.7 percent while exports of goods and services to the rest of the world accounted for the fastest growth among the expenditure items with 37.4 percent.