DAVAO CITY – Economic growth in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao dropped 1.3 percent from four percent in 2023 to 2.7 percent in 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

THE KCC Mall under construction in Cotabato City. (Keith Bacongco)

PSA-BARMM Regional Director Engr. Akan Tula attributed this to the series of natural calamities that disrupted the region’s momentum.

“This sustained growth could have been stronger but 2024’s typhoons, landslides, and flash floods heavily affected the region’s performance,” Tula said in a statement released by the BARM Information Office.

Last July, heavy rainfall due to the intertropical convergence zone spawned flash floods and landslides in low-lying villages in Maguindanao del Sur and Lanao del Sur, affecting 800,000 persons from 413 barangays.

Tula reported that construction was the fastest-growing sector, followed by human health and social work activities at 10.9 percent, and professional and business services at 2.5 percent.

These industries played a crucial role in sustaining BARMM economic activities despite broader challenges, he added.

The PSA official said mining and quarrying declined to 8.7 percent while agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AFF) – a traditionally vital sector for the region – contracted by 4.2 percent, raising concerns about food security and rural livelihoods.

Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority Director Melanie Indar said these figures help the region assess its current position to be able to determine its trajectory as well as to identify necessary actions moving forward.

“These numbers allow us to check where we are, where we are headed, and what we need to do more regionally,” Indar said.

In 2024, the services sector remained the largest contributor to the BARMM economy, accounting for 42 percent of the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), the PSA said. Despite its contraction, AFF sector still contributed a significant 32.4 percent.