The economic sector of Calapan city faces several constraints, including a limited economic base focused on agriculture and services. The city has untapped potential in tourism but lacks adequate facilities. The document analyzes the agricultural, fishery, livestock, trade and industrial sectors of Calapan's economy. It notes the city's dominance in rice production but constraints to economic growth from its narrow economic base and inadequate support facilities.
The economic sector of Calapan city faces several constraints, including a limited economic base focused on agriculture and services. The city has untapped potential in tourism but lacks adequate facilities. The document analyzes the agricultural, fishery, livestock, trade and industrial sectors of Calapan's economy. It notes the city's dominance in rice production but constraints to economic growth from its narrow economic base and inadequate support facilities.
The economic sector of Calapan city faces several constraints, including a limited economic base focused on agriculture and services. The city has untapped potential in tourism but lacks adequate facilities. The document analyzes the agricultural, fishery, livestock, trade and industrial sectors of Calapan's economy. It notes the city's dominance in rice production but constraints to economic growth from its narrow economic base and inadequate support facilities.
The economic sector of Calapan city faces several constraints, including a limited economic base focused on agriculture and services. The city has untapped potential in tourism but lacks adequate facilities. The document analyzes the agricultural, fishery, livestock, trade and industrial sectors of Calapan's economy. It notes the city's dominance in rice production but constraints to economic growth from its narrow economic base and inadequate support facilities.
This Chapter analyzes the overall situation of the essential sectoral components of the city's economic base.
The economic sector is beset with several constraints as follows: a) limited
economic base, b) inadequate and poor support facilities, c) lack of viable farmers’ and fishermen’s associations and cooperatives, and d) untapped tourist potentials and inadequate tourist facilities.
5.1 LIMITED ECONOMIC BASE
The city has a limited economic base. This constrains the economic activities undertaken by the populace and consequently, the growth of the city. The limited economic base is intertwined with limited employment opportunities and high migration rate of the population.
The economy is mainly agricultural-based and service-oriented. Agricultural
activities include crop production, fishing, and livestock and poultry production.
5.1.1 Agriculture
Major agricultural crops produced in the city include palay, coconut, banana, and calamansi. About 13,590 hectares of the city’s total land area are devoted to palay production. Considered as the rice granary of the Southern Tagalog region, Calapan supplies rice to several areas including Metro Manila.
There are two cropping seasons for rice, the wet season, covering May to September, and the “palagad,” October to December, and the dry season, January to April. A majority of the ricelands is irrigated, with free flowing surface water and pumps. Vegetables are grown during the wet season.
Other major crops of the city include coconut, banana, lanzones, coffee, citrus, and rambutan. Major coconut producing areas include the hills from Suqui to Sapul, the coastal areas along Calapan Bay from Wawa to Nag-Iba, and the upland areas in Baruyan, Canubing, Comunal, and Patas.
The average landholding for about 2,899 farmers engaged in palay production is one hectare. As to tenurial status, about 80% of the farmers are share tenants, lease holders, and owner-operators.
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There has been a decline in the area planted to palay, from 14,356 has. in 1993 to 13,262 has. in 1994-1996, and 13,590 in 1997. The average yield, however, remained fairly the same, from 4.02 MT in 1993 to 4.03 MT in 1997. The drastic decline in yield that occurred in 1994 was attributed to the destruction of irrigation systems due to a typhoon in December 1993.
Table 5.1. Area Planted and Average Yield, Palay, 1993-1997
Item 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 Area Planted (has.) 14,356 13,262 13,262 13,262 13,590 Average Yield (MT) 4.02 3.26 4.05 4.04 4.03 Source : Office of the City Agriculturist
5.1.2 Fishery
Municipal fishery serves as a major source of livelihood for the 21 coastal
barangays and some 1,067 fishermen. The coastlines of Calapan serve as fishing grounds and are used for shallow fishing. Fish species caught include tangigue, tambakol, tulingan, dilis, manamsi, and galunggong. The total volume of fish catch has declined through the years, from 533 MT in 1993 to 485 MT in 1997.
Table 5.2. Volume of Fish Catch
Year Volume (MT) 1993 533 1994 614 1995 119 1996 401 1997 485 Source : Office of the City Agriculturist
There are also fishponds that raise mostly bangus, shrimps, and crabs which are shipped directly to Metro Manila. There are a total of 526.0 has. covered by fishpond concessions.
Freshwater and brackish water fish production potentials are yet untapped fully. Caluangan Lake and other bodies of water represent potential sources of inland fish and freshwater species, and brackish water in swampy areas may also be utilized for aquaculture development and may include production of banak, sabalo, hito, dalag, tilapia, gurami, bangus, tilapia, and sugpo.
Most of the fishing vessels used are small, motorized or non-motorized, and up to a maximum capacity of 3.0 tons. The fishing gears normally used are baklad (fish coral), bobo and bonbon for shallow sea fishing; basnig, pusit, panti, and kitang for deep sea fishing; and salap, basnig, and sakag for inland waters
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Table 5.3 shows the breakdown of fishpond concessions by barangay.
Table 5.3. No. of Fishpond Concessions, by Barangay
Barangay No. of Fishpond Concessions (in has.) Balite 24.0 Baruyan 9.4 Canubing I 20.0 Canubing II 10.0 Masipit 234.9 Nag-Iba I 7.0 Nag-Iba II 20.0 Navotas 49.7 Parang 49.0 Tawagan 71.0 Tawiran 25.0 Wawa 6.0 Total 526.0 Source : 1997 Socio-Economic Profile
5.1.3 Livestock and Poultry
Livestock and poultry production is mainly backyard with a few commercial
poultry farms. Animals raised include carabao, swine, poultry, and goats. A number of carabaos are sold in the livestock markets in Batangas City for fattening; poultry grown in commercial scale are being shipped to Batangas and Metro Manila.
Table 5.4. Animal Population, 1993-1997 (in heads)
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5.1.4 Trade, Industry, and Services
Calapan is the business hub of the province. The central business district features a large number of business establishments, most of which are on wholesale and retail trade as well as services. In 1997, there were 1,646 wholesale and retail trade establishments out of a total of 2,376 establishments registered with the city government, comprising 69.3%. The rest of the establishments are mainly oriented towards private services and small-scale manufacturing such as ricemills, eateries/restaurants, machine shops, and lending investors.
The list of businesses registered with the Department of Trade and Industry likewise shows the dominance of service and trading-oriented establishments (Table 5.5).
Table 5.5. DTI-Registered Business Establishments, by Sector, 1991-1996
Sector No. of Business Establishments Services 876 Trading 507 Manufacturing 70 Agriculture 33 Financing 22 Mining 1 Source : DTI
5.1.5 The Challenge
The limited economic base of the city poses the challenge of enhancing the economic vitality of the city through diversification of economic activities while at the same time strengthening the agricultural resource base of the city. Calapan is in a strong position of asserting its dominance in palay production in the region and taking advantage of the presence of inter-island roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels. Enhancing the city’s agricultural base may also result in future value- adding activities such as processing in the city itself, or merely increasing the supply base for value-adding activities in areas outside Calapan, such as Batangas.
Expanding the economic base will also imply enhancing the informal sector and assisting their transition towards the formal sector, particularly small and medium scale enterprises. Such enterprises will require less land requirements as well as develop the entrepreneurial skills of the residents. This will also translate to a broader revenue base for the city.
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5.2 INADEQUATE AND POOR SUPPORT FACILITIES
The slaughterhouse and public market represent two of the important public facilities that play an important role in the economic activities of the city as well to its revenues. In 1997, the slaughterhouse earned Php 1.110 million in 1997, with a sizable excess income of Php 101,176. In 1997, the public market contributed Php 1.953 million and an excess income of Php 31,404 in 1997.
The slaughterhouse is characterized by poor conditions; residents have voiced
the need to relocate and improve the slaughterhouse. The Calapan Public Market, located within the central business district, has 658 stalls. The public market likewise needs to be expanded considering that the market serves as a central assembly area for agricultural commodities grown in various parts of the city.
Poor farm-to-market roads, particularly in interior barangays, are likewise
considered as a constraint in the marketing and transport of agricultural produce. Other support facilities also considered as inadequate are dryers and warehouses for palay production and ice plants for fish.
5.3 LACK OF VIABLE FARMERS’ AND FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS
AND COOPERATIVES
There are 34 farmers’ associations, mostly engaged in production of palay,
vegetables, hogs, chicken, and poultry with a membership of 899 in 34 barangays. Fishermen’s associations number eight (8), representing eight (8) barangays and 501 members. There are 11 cooperatives with a membership base of 929, most of which provide palay production loans to its members.
Despite Calapan being the financial center of the province as evidenced by the number of banks (10 commercial banks and 4 rural banks), the farmers and fishermen are not able to avail of loans from these banks. This may partly be attributed to the lack of viable farmers’ and fishermen’s associations. This stresses the need for institutional strengthening measures.
5.4 UNTAPPED TOURIST POTENTIALS AND INADEQUATE TOURIST
FACILITIES
Calapan boasts of a wide range of natural, historical, and cultural attractions.
Natural tourist attractions include Suqui and Tamaraw beaches; Baco-Chico islets; Caluangan Lake; the marsh areas in Navotas, Silonay, and Maidlang; estuary along Baco; Wawa River; Ginubatan hills; and the Bulusan Nature Park. Cultural tourist attractions include the Sanduguan festival; the Mayuhan sa Calapan; and the Santa Cruzan in San Vicente. The city is also home to some interesting flora such as the everlasting Bulusan found in Bulusan Park and a unique species of anahaw found in Sta. Cruz.
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Tourist products may include beach resort facilities, sightseeing tours that focus on nature, culture and special interest products on scuba diving, snorkeling, boating, trekking, and festivals.
Calapan may be packaged as a nature’s paradise catering to diverse clientele.
Eco-tourism particularly holds promise for Calapan as it conforms to several of the criteria set by the Department of Tourism in declaring an area as an eco- tourism destination, such as : a) rich in natural attractions and conducive to adventure travel; b) environmentally rich in flora and fauna; c) native and tribal traditions of the people in the destination are almost untouched by modern influences (e.g., Mangyans); and d) area is not frequented by commercial tourists. Eco-tourism will necessitate a type of tourism that is environmentally, culturally, and socially aware. This will further enhance the natural and cultural diversity of the city.
The tourism development efforts of the city should be complemented and/or
integrated with other tourism clusters such as those identified under the Southern Tagalog Regional Tourism Master Plan, particularly the Mindoro Oriental Tourist Destination Circuit which includes Puerto Galera/San Teodoro, Baco-Calapan, Naujan, Bulalacao, and Pinamalayan.
The development of tourist destinations will however require complementary
development such as provision of infrastructure and support services and generation of alternative livelihood opportunities. The presence of tourist facilities such as accommodation and recreational facilities, and shopping centers for quality arts and crafts will be required and linked to tourism. As of 1997, there are 13 hotels/inns and 10 beach resorts.
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