Eastern Samar has ‘fastest’ economic growth in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, Philippines — Eastern Samar registered the fastest-growing economy in Eastern Visayas (EV) last year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

The province posted an 8.1-percent economic growth rate that outpaced the region’s overall rate of 6.38 percent, according to the PSA in a report dated Nov. 28.

The PSA attributed the region’s economic growth to its service sectors, benefiting from significant gains from transportation and storage, construction, quarrying, and mining.

The province’s economic output for 2023 amounted to P36.72 billion. It was followed by Southern Leyte, with a 7.3-percent growth; and Biliran (6.6 percent), Leyte (6.4 percent), Samar (6.1 percent), and Northern Samar (3.7 percent).

Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone welcomed the province’s rosy economy but stressed the need to sustain this growth to ensure it would benefit all residents, especially those in remote areas.

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“We must sustain and expand our antipoverty initiatives, focusing on poor families in far-flung barangays,” Evardone said.

“We aim to enhance programs in education, health, job creation, agriculture, tourism, and peace and security to lift our province out of stagnation and underdevelopment,” he added.

Key priorities

The governor outlined key priorities as part of his antipoverty program, which includes increasing investments in seeds, fertilizers, modern postharvest facilities, irrigation, and the marketing of agricultural products; improving access to historical, cultural, and natural sites while encouraging private investments in tourism infrastructure in the tourism sector; and expanding scholarship programs to ensure at least one college graduate per family.

He also announced plans to broaden access to free health services to reduce the financial burden on families.

Evardone credited the province’s development to effective collaboration with national government agencies and development partners, which enabled the implementation of pro-poor programs.

The governor also highlighted a significant reduction in Eastern Samar’s poverty incidence, which dropped from 40.9 percent in 2018 to 24.7 percent in 2023, based on PSA data.

“This 16.2 percent decrease is the largest drop in poverty incidence in the region,” Evardone noted, adding that the province’s continued focus on inclusive growth would further improve living standards.

(2024/12/09-04:35)