19 December 2022 – Tacloban City. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) releases the first ever report on the Provincial Product Accounts (PPA) of Eastern Visayas Region covering the period 2018 to 2021. This release covers six provinces, namely, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte, as well as the Highly Urbanized City (HUC) of Tacloban.

The PPA results showed that in 2021, the Province of Leyte led the economy of the region accounting for half of the regional economy with a share of 50.3 percent. This was followed by the Province of Samar with a share of 11.8 percent. The City of Tacloban, the only HUC in the region, accounted for 9.8 percent. The Provinces of Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar had respective shares of 9.0 percent, 8.9 percent, and 6.9 percent. Meanwhile, Biliran had the least share of 3.3 percent to the regional economy of Eastern Visayas. (Table 1 and Figure 1)

In terms of growth in 2021, Eastern Samar and Leyte recorded the fastest growth of 7.1 percent and 7.0 percent, respectively. Of the 6.0 percent growth of the region during the period, Leyte contributed the most with 3.5 percentage points. (Table 1)

The PPA is a mechanism to compile the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the subregional level. Complementing the GDP at the national level and the Gross Regional Domestic Product at the regional level, the PPA will provide a suitable measure of economic performance at the provincial and HUC level. It will also be a source of indicators that monitor economic development at the local level. Moreover, the PPA is viewed as a means to strengthen the planning and decision-making of subregional policymakers and stakeholders in crafting more informed economic policies.

Eastern Visayas, along with CAR, CALABARZON, Western Visayas, Davao Region, and SOCCSKSARGEN, were selected as pilot regions for the compilation of PPA in 2022. In 2021, MIMAROPA Region, Northern Mindanao, and Central Visayas were the pilot regions. To date, the PPA compilation covers 46 provinces and 13 HUCs in the nine regions. The results covering the period 2018 to 2021 were consistent with the annual regional accounts released on  28 April 2022.

Complete statistical tables, charts, and data visuals on the PPA of Eastern Visayas can be accessed at http://psa.gov.ph/ppa. Results of the PPA are also released by the respective provincial offices of the PSA through http://rsso08.psa.gov.ph/ppa.

DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General