Fourth Quarter 2015

National Economic and Development Authority Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)

QRES

Quarterly Regional Economic Situationer A quarterly update on the economic performance of Eastern Visayas

Highlights Despite the typhoon and dry spell, the region saw improvements along key economic sectors before the end of 2015. Price movement remained slow at 0.9 percent as average prices of food and petrol products declined. Agriculture made a rebound as crop and livestock production increased year-on-year. On a quarterly basis, unemployment increased to 5.3 percent, albeit lower than the full-year national average target of 6.6 to 6.8 percent, while underemployment reduced to 26 percent. Internal revenue collection was up by 16.32 percent owing to high collection of taxes on wages and business income. Customs collection, in contrast, declined by one-third due to low production in the Leyte Industrial Development Estate (LIDE), the region’s major source of customs collection.

Inside this Issue: Page 2 Agriculture 7 Tourist Arrivals and Receipts 8 Business Name Registration MSMEs Mineral Production Prices and Inflation

9 Purchasing Power Labor and Employment Revenue Collection

Business expansion and post-Yolanda rehabilitation activities led to an increase in loan portfolio and deposit liabilities by 17.05 and 20.38 percent, respectively.

10 Customs Collection

Tourism fared well as influx of tourists went up by 6.76 percent.

11 Vehicle Registration

Registered businesses numbered to 1,639, majority of which were new registrants. Assisted micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) doubled to 909 from the previous year’s record. Mineral production downscaled on account of low demand and limited business operations.

Banking and Finance

Shipping

12 Aviation 13 Peace and Security 14 Development Outlook

In sea transport, cargo traffic significantly increased by 30.28 percent while passenger traffic rose by 6.33 percent. Aviation statistics showed a triple-digit growth in air passenger movement and cargo volume. Lastly, peace and order situation was generally positive as crime volume slipped by 1.84 percent and average monthly crime rate by 9.91 percent. Downloadable at: nro8.neda.gov.ph

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Agriculture The aggregate volume growth was attributed to additional harvest area and higher yield. Leyte, the region’s biggest rice producer, registered a production increment of 25.61 percent. Despite the almost 5,000 hectares of Leyte’s rice farms affected by dry spell since April 2015, provincial production increased since most of the irrigation areas undergoing rehabilitation in 2014 were already operational for this period. Another gainer was Southern Leyte, although it registered a minimal growth of palay produce by 0.71 percent.

Amid the threats of dry spell, typhoon, and other long-standing factors, the region’s agri-fishery sector generally fared well in the fourth quarter of 2015. Total agricultural output at 798,651.48 MT improved year-on-year, registering a 7.82 percent growth (Figure 1). Crop production expanded by 8.75 percent, with the highest percentage growth led by sugarcane and pineapple. Livestock increased by 0.38 percent while poultry dipped by 4.30 percent. The fisheries subsector consistently lagged behind with a 2.16 percent decrement. In terms of proportion to the regional output, palay and coconut produced the biggest shares at 38.78 and 34.89 percent, respectively.

The rest of provincial harvests, constituting 37 percent of the total, showed a decreasing trend. Northern Samar, which was heavily affected by Typhoon Nona in December, produced 667 MT less than last year’s record. Nonetheless, this reduction was relatively lower than Samar’s, which contracted by more than one-fourth due to the effects of dry spell as well as disruptions in planting schedule after Supertyphoon Yolanda.

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) VIII

Palay The region’s palay production at 309,736 MT posted a 6.26 percent year-on-year growth in the last quarter of 2015, a turnaround from the past two years’ consecutive decline (Figure 2). The region’s share to the national harvest also went up from 3.86 to 4.26 percent. Irrigated palay, which is 60 percent of the total produce, increased by 13.68 percent, while rainfed palay decreased by 3.11 percent.

Source: PSA VIII

Corn The region also saw an improvement in maize production, same with palay, at the latter part of 2

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the year. The 5.16 percent growth translated to a corn output of 26,551 MT, which was the biggest quarterly production for the same period in 20 years (Figure 3). White corn, which comprised more than 80 percent of the entire produce, increased by 5.98 percent while yellow corn was up by 0.14 percent.

percent compared to last year’s produce (Figure 4). While minimal, this was the only turnabout in quarterly production on a year-on-year basis for this year. The foreseen recovery of moderately damaged coconut trees due to continued rehabilitation efforts (e.g. salt fertilization and intercropping) could have led to higher production level. However, this quarter’s volume was still relatively lower than in 2013, during which Yolanda ravaged the region.

Underlying factors for the production uptick was the expansion in area harvested and better yield brought about by sustained distribution of certified open-pollinated varieties of corn seeds as well as hybrid seeds in support of the Yolanda rehabilitation programs and in preparation for the occurrence of El Niño. Also, corn areas affected by Yolanda were replanted for the given period.

The increasing trend was apparent at the provincial level, except in Eastern Samar, where majority of coconut trees is still undergoing recovery a year after Typhoon Ruby. Leyte’s harvest grew by 3.36 percent, the highest among provinces. An addition of about 6 MT was observed in Northern Samar, although productivity is anticipated to slow down in the subsequent months as Typhoon Nona’s impact lingers. Southern Leyte chipped in the biggest share at 27.83 percent.

Leyte led in output growth with 11.77 percent, contributing more than half of the region’s harvest, followed by Eastern Samar (0.68%) and Samar (0.16%). In contrast, other provinces experienced slump in production, which collectively reduced by 450 MT from a year ago.

Copra production also rose by a little over 0.50 percent to 83,710 MT. Despite the addition, there was a slack demand for coconut by-products such as coconut oil in the light of a weak global economy.

Source: PSA VIII Source: PSA VIII

Coconut Estimated at 278,644.03 MT, the coconut output of Eastern Visayas slightly inched up by 0.62

Source: PSA VIII

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Abaca

Banana

Official statistics showed that the production of abaca fiber picked up by 1.73 percent from 2,697.26 MT to 2,743.93 MT (Figure 5). Ignoring the seasonality factor, the production increase sustained the previous quarter’s minimal increment. The positive performance could be a result of the abaca disease eradication projects and other interventions undertaken in the past to ramp up Manila hemp output.

Another frontrunner in commodity growth was banana, which increased by 5.84 percent to 48,997.95 MT. This was due to the recovery of a number of banana plants affected by Yolanda. The volume of all banana varieties grew, especially significant for saba with an added production in absolute terms of 1,676.74 MT from a year ago. The Cavendish variety though has the highest percentage increase by almost a quarter.

Five provinces recorded gains in harvest, with Samar posting the highest growth by 32.63 percent. Only Southern Leyte registered a decrease by 3.63 percent. Northern Samar, the region’s largest source of fiber, managed to increase by 0.27 percent. However, its abaca industry faces production delays and lower fiber yield in the ensuing quarter in the light of Typhoon Nona’s impact.

Eastern Samar incurred the highest growth rate of 23.87 percent among the four provinces that logged production gains for the period. Such increase may be significant given that the said province bore the brunt of Typhoon Ruby last year. Production decrements, however, were noted in Northern Samar and Southern Leyte by 1.22 percent and 0.03 percent, respectively.

A plethora of factors still constrain the overall revival of the region’s abaca industry such as viral diseases, slow rate of abaca rehabilitation, lack of capital and planting materials, poor farm maintenance, soil fertility depletion, lack of local government’s support in abaca farming/stripping, among others. Cognizant of the region’s competitive advantage in producing abaca, massive rehabilitation remains a priority.

Source: PSA VIII

Pineapple

Source: PSA VIII

Pineapple, estimated at 250.72 MT, gained 9.46 percent more than the production level in 2014’s comparable quarter (Figure 7). The expansion in planted areas observed in the previous quarters engendered an output growth. A 50 percent increment over last year’s 36.52 MT in Leyte was noted, which was the highest provincial growth. 4

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Northern Samar, with a contraction rate of 37.30 percent, is the only province that had a low production. No data was available for Southern Leyte for this period.

Source: PSA VIII

Sugarcane Preliminary statistics from official sources revealed that sugarcane output for the fourth quarter of 2015 posted 33,544.14 MT, a sharp increase over the previous year’s 9.76 MT. Leyte took the lion share, although there were reports of production in Samar and Southern Leyte. While Leyte’s production picked up, this quarter’s output at 33,545.13 MT was not enough to meet the supply requirements of the region’s sugar industry in Kananga and Ormoc City. It can be recalled that Leyte’s sugarcane district was heavily devastated by Typhoon Yolanda, resulting in production losses.

Source: PSA VIII

Camote and Cassava Root crops, inclusive of camote and cassava, reached 28,444.25 MT, higher by 4.93 percent than in the same period last year (Figure 8). Cassava production grew more (6.01%) than camote (4.18%). These widely-grown commodities proved essential as alternatives to staple rice and corn as well as industrial inputs i.e. feeds, especially cassava. Hence, the government sustains the support and advocacy of planting and intercropping the said crops in the region. In fact, the government’s cassava program interventions are lodged in the corn program to meet the need for food and feed.

At the outset of the year, there were reports on future initiatives to consider shifting production from sugarcane to Napier grass, a potential feedstock for renewable energy, in western Leyte.

Southern Leyte and Northern Samar both registered production downtick of both root crops. Per output share, Samar was the biggest producer of cassava and camote at 39.02 and 20.44 percent, respectively.

Vegetable The region’s harvest of selected vegetables dipped by 0.42 percent from 3,364.03 MT in 2014 to 3,350.05 MT in 2015 (Figure 9). Among the crops that were considered, only kangkong, squash, 5

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peanut, and ginger posted production decline, albeit less than 3 percent. This must have been the result of the dry spell that affected certain areas in Eastern Visayas. On the other hand, some of the region’s priority vegetables such as eggplant, tomato, and cabbage, as identified in the Regional Development Plan, recorded production gains for this quarter.

Fourth Quarter 2015

Total poultry produce was pulled down by the shrinkage in the volume of duck eggs, chicken, and duck within the range of 7 to 14 percent. Delayed restocking of broiler farms was cited as one reason for the decline. Only chicken eggs recorded an increase of 38.81 percent.

Source: PSA VIII

Source: PSA VIII

Livestock and Poultry Aggregate production of livestock increased by 0.38 percent vis-à-vis the previous year on the back of higher inventory resulting from infusion of stock from non-government organizations (NGOs). There was also higher number of animals slaughtered for the given period. Meanwhile, poultry incurred a slippage of 4.30 percent or 370 MT less, in contrast to the better performance of the poultry industry at the national level (Figure 10). In the livestock subsector, cattle posted the highest growth by 7.96 percent, followed by goat (2.49%), carabao (0.28%), and hog (0.22%). Accounting for the biggest share is hog production, settling at 22,803 MT or 82.65 percent of the total.

Fisheries Eastern Visayas’ aquatic catch shrunk by 2.16 percent to 30,558.40 MT (Figure 11). Only Eastern Samar and Southern Leyte registered production increments by 12.89 and 1.25 percent, respectively. Samar posted the worst contraction rate of 10.32 percent among those provinces with low production. Leyte yielded the biggest share of 31.68 percent for this period. A sub-sectoral review showed that only municipal fisheries recorded a higher output by 1.26 percent from last year’s 16,223.05 MT. Consequently, its share to the regional catch increased from 52 to 54 percent. Rehabilitation interventions, such as distribution of fishing boats and other inputs to fisher folks after Yolanda, contributed to the growth. Evidently, marine fisheries, a subcomponent of municipal fisheries, picked up by 1.80 percent. 6

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Commercial fisheries dropped by 7.48 percent to 6,465.69 MT. The decline must have been due to the nationwide banning on the operations of the fishing method called the Danish Seine or locally known as “hulbot-hulbot,” which was found to be destructive to marine resources. The prohibition was legally supported through Fisheries Administrative Order 246 that was issued in 2013.

The aquaculture output was still on a downtrend as it reduced by 5.24 percent or a decrement of 420.76 MT from 2014. Production constraints ranged from costly inputs to lack of capital. Nonetheless, various support programs to the aquaculture subsector had been introduced after Supertyphoon Yolanda.

Fourth Quarter 2015

Among provinces in the region, Southern Leyte and Leyte registered significant increases in tourist arrivals by 43.94 and 24.21 percent, respectively. The increased tourist arrivals in Leyte could be attributed to the intensified and effective tourism promotion as well as the introduction of new tourism activities. For instance, the municipality of Palompon in Leyte, known for its Kalanggaman Island, introduced mountaineering, spelunking and dragon-boat riding, among others, towards the end of the year. Among cities, tourist arrivals in Baybay and Ormoc grew by 52.77 and 46.02 percent, respectively. The hosting of MICE-related activities and visits to natural and historical sites (i.e. St. Anthony de Padua, Lintaon Peak and Cave, Bakwitan River) contributed to the rise in the number of tourists. On the other hand, Tacloban City, the region’s tourism hub, yielded the largest contribution to the regional total by 46.35 percent (Figure 12). Its total tourist arrivals grew by 19.04 percent compared to the same period of last year.

Source: PSA VIII

Industry, Trade and Services Tourist Arrivals and Receipts Tourist arrivals for this quarter reached 265,365 or 4.76 percent higher than in the fourth quarter of last year. Domestic tourists accounted for the largest bulk (96.22%) of these arrivals while roughly 4 percent were international tourists.

Source: Department of Tourism (DOT) VIII

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Business Name Registration Business name registration for this quarter stood at 1,639 or 0.86 percent higher than in the same period of last year. Out of this number, 84 percent were new registrants. Although the proportion was lower than last year, the newlyregistered businesses was still an indication of renewed business interest among entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, despite the ongoing massive reconstruction efforts in the region, the volume and value of sand and gravel production fell by 28.8 and 52.8 percent, respectively. A notable drop (82%) in the excise tax was noted as compared to the same period of last year.

MSMEs The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) assisted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) VIII doubled to 909 for this quarter. To finance their business needs, 39 MSMEs have availed of loans from the Small Business Corporation, an enterprise development financing company. Domestic sales generated from MSMEs totaled to P97 million, which was lower by 13.39 percent compared to the fourth quarter of last year. Higher domestic sales in 2014 could be due to the continued assistance received by the MSMEs from international NGOs present in the region.

Macroeconomy

Mineral Production

Prices and Inflation

Metallic and non-metallic mineral production slowed down this quarter compared to a year ago (Figure 13). The volume of chromite ore dropped by 77.31 percent, which resulted to a decline in value by 76.17 percent. Lower demand of the said commodity from China may have caused the production to slow down. For this quarter, the Cambayas Mining Corporation operated for only 12 days and recorded zero production in the months of October and December of 2015. Excise tax generated also went down by around 40 percent.

Eastern Visayas’ headline inflation continued to slow down to 0.9 percent this quarter (Figure 14). It was recorded at 5.4 percent of the same period last year and 1.0 percent in the previous quarter.

Source: Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) VIII

The region hit another record-low decline, in contrary to the expected inflationary increase of commodities amid upbeat demand during the holiday season and following the onslaught of Typhon Nona, which affected the northern and eastern part of the Samar island. The slower price adjustments in both non-food and 8

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food items were attributed to the ample food supply and continuous downward price movements of petrol products – gasoline, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas.

PhP0.66. The steady real value of peso could be traced to the stable prices of goods and services in the region. The value of peso was lowest in Samar at PhP0.62 and highest in Northern Samar at PhP0.70.

Labor and Employment Eastern Visayas’ working age population was estimated at 3.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2015. It dropped by 0.16 percent from the previous quarter. Labor force participation rate was stable at 59.6 percent, which represents around 1.86 economically active populace. In addition, employment rate slid from 95.0 to 94.7 percent. Consequently, the number of jobless persons inched up from 5.0 to 5.3 percent, albeit minimal. Underemployment, which could imply demand for additional work or working hours, decreased to 26.0 percent.

Source: PSA VIII

Meanwhile, there was no establishment that closed/shut down and retrenched workers. Also, no workers were displaced during the quarter.

Across provinces, Southern Leyte had the highest inflation rate at 4.2 percent while Northern Samar had the lowest at -0.1 percent (Figure 15).

Labor force statistics during the same period of 2014 excluded the province of Leyte, hence, not comparable with this quarter. The review then was made on a quarterly instead of year-to-year basis. The seasonality of labor force survey was not taken into account in the preceding discussion.

Revenue Collection Internal revenue collection during the period in review was up by 16.32 percent from PhP1.39 billion to PhP1.62 billion. It was likewise higher by 18.66 percent compared to this quarter’s target of PhP1.36 billion. The acceleration was credited to the sustained tax collection on withholding tax on wages and business income. The continued implementation of Yolanda reconstruction projects in the region was also another factor. However, quarter on quarter, a reduction of 6.23 percent

Source: PSA VIII

Purchasing Power The average purchasing power of peso (PPP) was unchanged from last year’s and last quarter’s 9

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was noted, probably due to the completion of some of the projects. The biggest contributor to tax collections were income and business taxes at PhP1 billion and PhP545 million, respectively (Figure 16).

On a quarterly basis, however, an increment from the PhP29.47 million collection was noted. This was linked to the huge importation of ordinary portland cement due to the ongoing reconstruction activities in the region.

Among provinces, Leyte continued to chip in the biggest revenue (PhP976 million) owing to the high number of business establishments present, followed by Samar with PhP204 million.

Source: Bureau of Customs (BOC) VIII

Banking and Finance As of September 2015, there was a total of 193 banks in Eastern Visayas. This was the third lowest across regions, accounting for only 1.8 percent of the total number of banks nationwide. However, this was an improvement from the 188 banks registered in the same period of 2014. Majority or 105 were universal and commercial banks, 53 were rural and cooperative banks and 35 were thrift banks (Figure 18).

Source: Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) VIII

Customs Collection Customs duties, taxes, fees, interests and other charges in the District Port of Tacloban fell by PhP14.68 million or 26.12 percent against the target of PhP56.23 million during the fourth quarter of 2015 (Figure 17). This was also lower than last year’s collection of PhP59.45 million. The foregone revenues could be a result of suspended commercial activities of the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corporation (Philphos) due to financial rehabilitation, non-production of copper cathodes of the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation (PASAR), and the lower importation of various goods. The declining prices of oil products in the world market can also be a reason for this revenue reduction.

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Source: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) VIII

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Loan portfolio was valued at PhP19.63 billion as of June 2015, higher by 17.05 percent from the PhP16.77 billion in June 2014 (Figure 19). This remarkable performance was attributable to the expansion of businesses, rehabilitation and reconstruction of facilities/structure damaged by Yolanda, and increased consumer loans.

percent (30,343 units). Only around 8 percent (2,517 units) were vehicles-for-hire, and the remaining number consisted of government vehicles. All types of vehicles posted an increase in registration relative to the same period of last year, with private vehicles registering the highest growth. This was attributed to the dealers’ marketing strategies in coming up with affordable motor vehicles and payment terms.

Similarly, deposit liabilities grew by 20.38 percent during the same period, from PhP66.65 billion to PhP80.23 billion. Accounting for this achievement was the entry/deposit of government funds to support the Yolanda rehabilitation and reconstruction activities; increased volume of remittances from international humanitarian organizations; increased savings and demand deposits due to improving economic activities in the region; and savings awareness among the public.

Table 1. Motor Vehicle Registration, EV Q4 2014 vs Q4 2015

Classification

Q4 2014

Q4 2015

% Change

Private

25,029

30,343

21.23

For Hire

2,389

2,517

5.36

402

418

3.98

-

-

0.00

27,820

33,278

19.62

Government Diplomatic Total

Source: Land Transportation Office (LTO) VIII

Shipping Cargo Traffic Cargo traffic in and out of the region increased significantly by 30.28 percent compared to the same period in 2014 (Figure 20).

Vehicle Registration

PMO Eastern Leyte/Samar recorded a slight increase in cargo throughputs (5.86%) due to resumption of shipment of copra in Tacloban Oil Mill, and domestic shipment of cargoes such as sand and gravel coupled with importation of cement from Vietnam.

The total number of vehicles registered in the region increased by 19.62 percent compared to the same period in 2014 (Table 1). Most of the vehicles registered are private vehicles at 91

On the other hand, PMO Western Leyte/Biliran posted a considerable increase (47.78%) in the volume of inbound and outbound commodities being transported locally such as continued

Source: BSP VIII

Infrastructure

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shipment of cement and construction materials and animal feeds. The same PMO also observed an increased importation of metallic ores as well as exportation of sulfuric acid to Singapore and Indonesia from PASAR.

Source: PPA-PMO Western Leyte/Biliran and Eastern Leyte/

Aviation Air Passenger Movement Source: Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) - Port Management Office (PMO) Western Leyte/Biliran and Eastern Leyte/Samar

The number of air passengers that landed and took off in the region was recorded at 308,317, which was a triple-digit growth (117%) over last year’s account (Figure 22). This can be attributed to the lower fare rates offered by airline operators as well as normalcy in airline operations. However, among the four airports in the region with passenger records, Calbayog and Catarman airports reported reductions in passenger movement by 48.84 and 3.64 percent, respectively. Such decline though did not affect the overall increase in air passengers since Tacloban City, where the region’s major airport is located, recorded an influx of passengers for the period.

Passenger Traffic The regional PMOs also saw a year-on-year increase in passenger traffic by 6.33 percent during the quarter in review (Figure 21). This was due to the regular operations of the ports and added trips of ship operators alongside influx of passengers during the holiday season. PMO Eastern Leyte/Samar recorded around 800,000 passengers (both embarked and disembarked) within the quarter, accounting for 52.48 percent of the region’s sea passenger traffic. On the other hand, PMO Western Leyte/Biliran estimated around 710,000 passengers for the same period.

Aircraft Movement In contrast to the increase in air passengers, the number of aircrafts that landed and took off in the region reduced by 12.70 percent year-on-year. However, this could be due to data comparison. It can be recalled that for the comparable quarter in 12

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in 2014, runway repairs in Tacloban City airport forced airline operators to use turbo propeller planes in lieu of turbo jet engine aircrafts. Given the limited passenger capacity of the former, some airlines increased their number of flights.

percent lower than the 40.28 AMCR in the last quarter of 2014. Among provinces, AMCR was lowest in Samar at 22.30 and highest in Biliran at 75.21.

Volume of Cargo For this period, cargo volume in metric tons increased by almost four times that of fourth quarter of 2014. The Tacloban City airport accounted for the bulk of the increase as a result of the normalcy in airline operations. Also, the huge difference could be due to data comparison from the previous year, during which turbo propeller planes limited the amount of cargo being transported. Source: Philippine National Police (PNP) VIII

The decline in crime incidents in the region may have been the result of sustained implementation of PNP Operational Procedures in managing police operations through the conduct of checkpoints, foot and mobile patrols, increased police visibility and deployment of police personnel (Lambat-Sibat) in crime-prone areas. From 2,093 cases last year, index crimes or crimes committed against persons and property decreased by 15.48 percent. This was due to lesser incidents of homicide and physical injury. However, rape cases rose by 20 percent. A PNP study on the factors relating to this is underway. On the other hand, non-index crimes increased by 9.26 percent to 3,137 incidents. The increase in non-index crimes could be explained by a surge in reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and physical injury, and violation of special laws.

Source: Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) VIII

Peace and Security Total crime volume as reported in police blotters (inclusive of index and non-index crimes) decreased by 1.84 percent from 4,998 to 4,906 crime incidents (Figure 23). Subsequently, average monthly crime rate (AMCR) from October to December this year registered 36.29 or equivalent to around 36 crime incidents per 100,000 people every month. This was 9.91

Efficiency in crime solution (45.88%) and crime clearance (56.77%) slightly improved for this period compared to the same quarter in 2014 (Figure 24). Out of the 4,906 reported incidents in 13

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the region, 2,785 were declared cleared cases1, which also include 2,251 solved cases2. This indicated sustained and effective efforts of the police force in investigating and solving crime incidents.

Northern Samar, the most adversely affected province in the region. A comprehensive provincial rehabilitation plan is set to be formulated soon to effectuate short to medium-term recovery. This is especially critical given the economic contribution of Northern Samar to the region’s agri-industry and ecotourism sectors, as well as the high poverty incidence that already beset the province even prior to the typhoon.

Despite the threats of natural hazards, domestic demand remains one of the major drivers of regional economic growth. Parallel to robust consumption is the renewed business confidence in the region, as manifested by a number of new industry players (e.g. retail stores and other business establishments) in the urban areas/ capitals. Multinational fast-food chains (e.g. Jollibee and McDonalds) recently expanded their operations by opening additional outlets in Tacloban City and Palo, the region’s seat of commercial activities and national government. The first branch of Jollibee in Borongan City will also open within the first quarter of 2016. Investments of retail business groups are also anticipated in the coming years. As part of its expansion program, Metro Retail Stores Group, Inc. is planning to put up a store in the region’s capital. On the other hand, Robinsons Land Corporation will launch shopping centers in Ormoc and Tacloban City tentatively in 2017. This is a significant development in consideration of the overwhelming impact of Yolanda to the business sector.

Source: PNP VIII

Development Outlook The region sees a mixed performance in terms of growth of the major economic sectors at the outset of 2016. While there were production gains in the agri-fishery sector towards the end of 2015, the risks of dry spell and the impact of Typhoon Nona will likely affect agricultural yield in the ensuing quarter. Nonetheless, slowdown might be modest as the national government recently earmarked about PhP19 billion for a massive implementation of projects under the Roadmap to Address the Impact of El Nino (RAIN) in affected areas of the country. Also, in the light of devastation of Typhoon Nona, rehabilitation activities have been initially implemented in

The slow price movements in fuel and petroleum products will likely sustain low and within-thetarget headline inflation rate. Meanwhile, the multiplier effects of local election spending will stimulate regional economy.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ 1

According to PNP, a case shall be considered cleared when at least one of the offenders has been identified; there is sufficient evidence to charge him; and he has been charged before the prosecutor’s office or any other court of appropriate jurisdiction. Included in this category are solved cases. 2

A case shall be considered solved when the following elements concur: the offender has been identified; there is sufficient evidence to charge him; the offender has been taken into custody; and the offender has been charged before the prosecutor’s office or court of appropriate jurisdiction.

The tourism sector is also seen to be vibrant as the summer season is approaching, and as image building and tourism promotion activities intensify. 14

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We would like to acknowledge our data providers and selected key industry leaders/informants: Line Agencies Regional Director/ Head of Office

Agency/Entity

Roundtable Discussion/ Representative

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas - Tacloban

Dir. Ludivina M. Realina

Ms. Maria Teresa A. Labrador

Bureau of Customs VIII

Coll. Avelino C. Alberca

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources VIII

Dir. Juan D. Albaladejo

Bureau of Internal Revenue VIII

Dir. Norberto D. Vitug

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines VIII

Manager Danilo T. Abareta

Department of Agriculture VIII

Dir. Leo P. Cañeda

Mr. Kim Aldrin B. Zarzua

Department of Labor and Employment VIII

Dir. Elias A. Cayanong

Ms. Norma Rae S. Costimiano

Department of Tourism VIII

Dir. Karina Rosa S. Tiopes

Department of Trade and Industry VIII

Dir. Cynthia R. Nierras

Ms. Eleanor P. Etulle

Land Transportation Office VIII

Dir. Edgar A. Catarongan

Ms. Terencia S. Luangco

Mines and Geosciences Bureau VIII

Engr. Nonita S. Caguioa

National Food Authority VIII

Dir. Celedonio P. Mendoza, Sr.

Philippine Coconut Authority VIII

Manager Joel O. Pilapil

Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation VIII

Manager Dominico S. Digamon

Ms. Angelica Guimong

Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority VIII

Engr. Wilardo O. Sinahon

Ms. Evelina M. Romero

Philippine National Police VIII

PC Supt. Jose Erwin T. Villacorte

Philippine Statistics Authority VIII

Dir. Wilma A. Perante

Philippine Ports AuthorityPort Management Office Eastern Leyte/Samar

Engr. Dominador D. Licayan

Philippine Ports AuthorityPort Management Office Western Leyte/Biliran

Manager Manuel A. Boholano

Ms. Loretta D. Bertis

Mr. Osias O. Rodriguez

Mr. Jonas A. Repulda

Ms. Judy Ann M. San Buenaventura

Key Industry Leaders/Informants Industry Tourism

Company/Business Name/ Organization

Name

Eco-Tour Office, LGU Palompon

Ms. Cleofe P. Rivera

City Tourism Office

Ms. Josefina K. Granada

Agribusiness (Abaca)

Specialty Pulp Manufacturing, Inc.

Ms. Charina Therese Tan

Agribusiness (Coconut)

SC Global Coco Products, Inc.

Mr. Emmanuel S. Licup

Commerce and Industry

Eastern Visayas Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Mr. Oliver G. Cam

Contact us for more information: Policy Formulation and Planning Division (PFPD) NEDA Regional Office VIII Government Center, Palo, Leyte Telephone: (053) 323-3094 local 112 Website: nro8.neda.gov.ph Email: [email protected]

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