The Western Visayas’ (WV) economy in 2009, as measured by the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), continued to grow at a faster rate of 5.9 percent compared to the 4.3 percent rate the previous year.  WV sustains its position as the 4^th largest contributor to the country’s GDP. Of the 17 regions of the country, it is also the 3^rd fastest growing economy in 2009 and the fastest among the three Visayas regions (Regions 6, 7 & 8).  Gains were largely attributed to the upsurging growths of its Industry and Service sectors. Agriculture, Fishery, & Forestry sector also grew but at a sluggish rate.

          The Service sector, which hugely contributed to the region’s economic output at 47.0 percent, grew by 2.1 percentage points from a growth of 2.0 percent in 2008 to 4.1 percent in 2009. The good performance was mainly brought about by the accelerated growths of all the subsectors with private services on the lead at 10.0 percent, followed by government at 7.0 percent, finance at 6.6 percent, and TCS at 4.9 percent. Likewise, trade rose from 1.2 percent to 1.8 percent.  ODRE, however, slowed down to 2.5 percent from 3.6 percent a year ago due to decrease in real estate revenues in 2009. 

           The Industry sector, the 2^nd biggest contributor to the region’s economic output at 29.1 percent, registered a growth of 12.0 percent in 2009, higher by 3.2 percentage points from its 8.8 percent growth in 2008. The tremendous increase was driven by mining and quarrying, which remarkably soared to 45.5 percent in 2009 from 7.5 percent growth in 2008, and likewise, construction, to 13.8 percent from its 8.9 percent growth in 2008. Manufacturing, which accounted for 60.6 percent of the Industry sector, however, slowed down to 5.8 percent from 9.0 percent in 2008 due to the weakened beverage industry in 2009. Electricity and Water also suffered a big slump of 6.2 percentage points from a growth of 9.5 percent in 2008 to 3.1 percent in 2009 caused by the decrease in power generation.

           AFF, which contributed 23.9 percent to the region’s economy decelerated to 2.6 percent from its 3.9 percent recorded growth a year ago. The decrease was mainly due to the negative 9.5 decrease in sugarcane and negative 22.1 percent in corn production. The slump in sugarcane and corn production was tempered, however, by the 4.1 percent increase in palay, 8.1 percent in fishery, and the improved production of livestock and poultry, which grew by 4.5 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, in 2009. Meanwhile, although at a slow down rate, Forestry, with a  minimal contribution of  0.003 percent to the region’s economic performance, decelerated to 7.8 percent in 2009 from its 85.3 percent growth a year ago.