RDC Says Most Cordillera Provinces among Poorest

While the gross regional domestic product of the Cordillera Administrative Region doubled after 18 years, majority of its provinces are still among the poorest provinces in the country.

By Kim Quitasol
NORTHERN DISPATCH
Posted by Bulatlat

BAGUIO CITY — Top officials of the Regional Development Council (RDC) have admitted that while the gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) doubled after 18 years, majority of its provinces are still among the poorest provinces in the country.

National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Asst. Regional Director Leon Dacanay, during the weekly Kapihan sa Baguio said the GRDP of CAR remained at P25 billion at present from a measly P12 B in 1987.

However, Dacanay said that Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Ifugao are among the poorest provinces in the country with Mountain Province and Ifugao still among the 20 poorest provinces. He also said that based on the GRDP poverty level ranking of CAR is somewhere in the middle unlike before when it was among those in the bottom.

Dacanay said that looking at economic figures it could be concluded that the region is industrial but quipped that the economic activities of the region’s people belie this. He admitted that a large chunk of the GRDP was contributed by the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA).

Dacanay said however that despite the absence of monetary equivalents, no Cordilleran dies of hunger, adding that people here do not rely on employment but on subsistence agriculture, for a living.

According to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Director Marites Damian, CAR’s export performance reached 10% at present. However, she said 99% of exports came from PEZA.

“This means we still need to develop our own small and medium enterprise (SME),” Damian said. She added that a five percent increase in SMEs would generate thousands of jobs for the region. 

To kick off its plans to improve the region’s performance, RDC integrated promotion of local products, forum-discussions on issues concerning the Cordillerans, and a dialogue with President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo in CAR’s 19th anniversary month-long celebration, which RDC prepared.  

Executive Order 220 signed by former President Corazon Aquino on July 15, 1987 created CAR. Northern Dispatch / Posted by Bulatlat

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