NEWSCORE Admin and Shane Velasco, PIA-Bulacan
CITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan’s P631.64 billion worth of industry-based economy is the seventh province among the 82 provinces and 33 highly urbanized cities in the country with the highest economic progress for 2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Bulacan is the only province in Northern and Central Luzon in the top 7 list with the highest economic progress in the country with Quezon City, Makati City in the top 2 positions, Province of Laguna as third, Manila City as fourth, Cavite and Batangas as fifth and sixth.
Parallel to this achievement, Bulacan received on Tuesday its eight consecutive year Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Gov. Daniel Fernando in an accomplishment report made before more than 137,000 officials in all the 602 barangays in the 20 towns and 4 cities in Bulacan held at the Capitol Gymnasium on Wednesday and Thursday, boasted the milestone achievement of the province. He said Bulacan is the only province in the country which had earned for eight straight years the most coveted SGLG recognition.
Fernando expressed further elation as only six out of the 24 towns and cities of the province has yet to be recognized or passed the SGLG requirements as eighteen towns and cities were also similarly recognized and given the recognition during the Tuesday’s awarding ceremony led by DILG Secretary Juanito Victor “Junvic” Remulla at the Manila Hotel.
Elmor G. Barroquillo, chief statistical specialist of PSA-Bulacan said during the Dec. 1 Provincial Product Accounts (PPA) Dissemination Forum that the P631.64 billion worth recorded 2023 economy of Bulacan is 27.2% of the P2.32 trillion total worth of economy in Central Luzon.
Bulacan’s economy is the biggest contribution for the region, says Baroqullo. Pampanga with 24.4% followed, Nueva Ecija with 13.6% is next as third, Bataan with 11.9% is fourth, Tarlac with 8.9% as fourth, ang Tarlac, Angeles City with 6.1% is next, ang Angeles City, Zambales with 4.0% as next, Olongapo City with 2.4% ang Olongapo City and Aurora with 1.5%.
Baroquillo said Bulacan surpasses the Pampanga and Zambales despite having the Clark and Subic Economic and Development Zones.
According to Baroquillo, the outstanding economic rating of Bulacan is based on the production and earnings of the industry-based economy such as the manufacturing, construction and tourism sectors. “These are measured based on the Provincial Product Account of Bulacan or the local equivalent of the Gross National Product,” the PSA-Bulacan chief said.
According to Barroquillo, the manufacturing industry in Malolos—First Bulacan Industrial Park which manufactures garments, processed foods and other export-quality goods and the First Bulacan Business Park where huge pharmaceutical companies operate at 30.9 % cobtributed the biggest economic progress in the province.
It also include the manufacturing companies for automobile battery, metal fabrication, glass, aluminum, bolts, nuts, organic fertilizer, soil conditioner, concrete pipes and including pork skin crackling (chicharon), in Santa Maria town Industrial Park that was declared as Special Economic Zone.
According to Baroquillo, the service industry also caused a high increase in the economic progress of Bulacan with P287.22 billion worth in 2023 that is higher than the P271.63 billion worth in 2022 and P248.69 billion in 2021. This include the earming of those in the motor vehicles and motorcycles repairs and also those in the professional and business services.
The PSA chief said the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that promote the “Tatak Bulakenyo” products of Bulacan is also a major contributory to the good economy of the province.
Arlene Pascual, head of Bulacan Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) said the province is now also focusing in agriculture to similarly boost the farming industry, particularly animal husbandry and to help provide the other agricultural needs of the farmers through the operation of the Bulacan Animal Breeding Center and Multiplier Farm and Bulacan Farmers ‘Productivity Center.
According to Pascual, the high economic rate in Bulacan is felt and reflected through the 13% increase in the employment rate in the province which is equivalent to job opportunities for 304,659 to Bulacan residents.
Pascual added a similar increase in the Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) wherein Bulacan posted 4.1% in 2023. This demonstrates a regular yearly earning of a resident in the province of P165, 224 for this year compared to P158,738 in 2022 and P148,545 in 2021.
