ECONOMY

Cotabato City, historically, during its heyday as the capital of the Maguindanao Sultanate, has
been the most economically prosperous city in the island of Mindanao. Its prosperity has been
taken away by civil internal strife beginning in the 1970s. However, once it became part of
Soccsksargen region in the 1990s, its economy began a radical economic recovery.
As of now, the city currently serves as the center for economic support activities, trade and
finance, education and other support services such as social, physical, cultural and other basic
services of Central Mindanao. It is now struggling to gain its lost glory.

South Cotabato as economic activities flourished in the area, more people especially
businessmen settled into the place, which contributed to a faster pace of development. ts
functional role is an Alternate Provincial Agro-industrial Center. While being a major producer
of corn and rice, Surallah has explored its vast potential for progress.
Recognized as the champion-advocate of the Clean and Green Program, Surallah envisions the
integral development of the municipality and the people. Through the USWAG Surallah
Program, a multi-sectoral approach to addressing the main thrust of its people, Surallah is certain
to be the next leading agri-industrial zone in the province of South Cotabato.
Agriculture is the major economy of Surallah, but multinational companies like Dole
Philippines has constructed a plant in the municipality. Also, major economic boom in the
municipality was due to its location. Surallah is in the center of many National Road thus, many
businessmen settled here because it is in the center of some municipalities. It is the Economical
Center of the Upper Valley Area, which is composed of all the municipalities of Tboli, Lake
Sebu, Banga, Norala, Santo Nino and Surallah. Together they function like a metropolitan area
with Surallah as its Central Business District.
Cotabato is considered as Mindanao’s food basket and one of the investment-friendly provinces
in Mindanao. It is a major producer of cereals, tropical fruits, vegetables, sugarcane, coconut,
coffee, freshwater fish and livestock. Province is an agriculture-based industry. Its vast plains
and rolling terrains provides suitable areas for growing a variety of crops.
It is also one of the country’s leading producers of raw and semi-processed rubber and industrial
trees, with markets in Asia and Europe.
Among its major natural assets are Mt. Apo, the country’s highest peak at 9,692 feet (2,954 m)
above sea level, the Pulangi River which is a major contributor to Mindanao’s irrigation system
and hydro-electric energy, and the vast Liguasan Marsh which not only supplies a bounty
of freshwater fish and organic fertilizer but considered as a possible source as well of natural gas.
Power utility in the province comes from two energy sources - the NAPOCOR  Agus
Grid in Iligan transmitted through its Tacurong Substations and the Mindanao 1 Geothermal
Power Plant at the foot of Mt. Apo in Ilomavis, Kidapawan City which produces 97 megawatts
of electricity. Power distribution is handled by Cotabato Electric Cooperative, Inc. (COTELCO).
The province has a 4,131.32-kilometre (2,567.08 mi) road network connecting the major centers
to each other and the outlying barangays, and communication linkage through NDD-IDD, fax,
cellular phone and the internet is available.
Sultan Kudarat is predominantly agricultural. The leading crops produced in the province are
rice, corn, coconut, coffee, banana, mango, durian and African palm. The province is self-
sufficient in poultry, swine, and root crops, and is one of the few producers of Irish potatoes in
the Philippines. The southern Philippines Grain Complex in Tacurong is the largest grains-
processing complex in the country. There are more than 200 rice mills in the province.
Fishing is an industry in the three coastal towns of the province (Kalamansig, Lebak and
Palimbang). Tuna caught along the coasts along the Celebes Sea are exported to Japan and
Europe.
Other economic activities include cottage industries, which include crafts made of rattan and
other types of wood.
Metallic minerals, which include copper, gold and silver, are found within the mountainous areas
of Isulan, Bagumbayan, Sen. Ninoy Aquino, Palimbang and Columbio. Non-metallic minerals
which include sand, gravel and marbleized limestone are also found in the province.
Though Sultan Kudarat hosts seventy percent of the agro-industries of the Province of Shariff
Kabunsuan, its main economy is derived from the agriculture sector.

Agriculture
Farming
The municipality has 23,152.263 hectares of agricultural lands. While based on the year 2005
MAO’s report, only 10,035 hectares of which or forty percent (49%) have been productively
used, reflecting a yield of 121.4, 13,282 and 7,820 metric tons for copra, rice and corn
respectively, earning a gross income of P169,279,300.00 for the year 2005. Its High Value
Commercial crops have so far covered 273 hectares and shared a total yield of 536 metric tons
that earned P9, 357,000.00.

Fishing
The town possesses vast fishing grounds, the Maguindanao and Matampay Rivers, Illana Bay,
lakes and its 1,393.4 hectares fishpond have been the major source of fish that supplies the fish
requirements of the municipality and its neighboring towns. However, development programs
have to be introduced to fully develop its potentials. The fish production reported is only 167,300
kilograms for the year 2005 which is not enough to supply the municipality’s fish requirement of
3.9 million kilograms.
Livestock and Poultry
In 2005, the Municipality of Sultan Kudarat has a total livestock population of 10,997 heads. The
livestock species that are popularly raised in the municipality are carabao, cattle, and goat,
probably because the town is thickly populated by the Islam believers. Its poultry population
have totaled to 24,693 heads. The present livestock and poultry production of the municipality is
not sufficient to supply the meat requirements of the municipality for it can only provide a total
of 234,691 kilograms for the year 2005 which is very far behind the town’s food requirements of
about 3.7 million kilograms.

The economy of Maasim, Sarangani is largely based on agriculture with a high level
production of copra (dried coconut meat). Animal husbandry is the second biggest income
earner, notably cattle farming. Other agricultural products
are coconuts, maize,sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, eggs, beef; fish.
The economy has accelerated in the past decade driven by advances in global communication
technology and the finishing of a modern highway that tremendously improved trade and
transport
GENERAL SANTOS

The city's major economic activity is primarily anchored in two sectors namely the agro-
industry and fishing industry.

 Agro-industry: Endowed with rich volcanic soil, ample and well distributed rainfall all
throughout the year and a typhoon-free climate, General Santos City produces export quality
high valued crops such as corn, coconut, pineapple, asparagus, banana and rice. It also yields
quality exotic fruits, vegetables and cut flowers. The city is also a top producer and exporter
of quality livestock such as poultry, hogs, and cattle. But with the continuing growth in
population and economy in the passing of time, a number of the city's agricultural lands have
gradually been converted into built up areas in order to address the relatively growing need
of dwelling and viable spaces.

 Fishing industry: General Santos City is the largest producer of sashimi-grade tuna in

the Philippines.Thus in as early as 1970, the title "Tuna Capital of the Philippines" has
become a tag to it. GenSan also accounts for the second largest daily total catch of fish in the
country after Navotas City in the National Capital Region. Locals in the city boast that fishes
and seafoods do not come fresher than what is found in their locality. The fishing industry in
GenSan yields a total daily capacity of 750 metric tons of fish catch alone and employs about
7,800 workers. Which is why General Santos City is home to seven (7) tuna processing
plants in the country. The Fishport Complex in Barangay Tambler has a 750 metres
(2,460 ft) quay and a 300 metres (980 ft) wharf for 2,000 GT reefer carriers. The fishport is
equipped with modern facilities that comply with international standards on fish catch
handling.

General Santos City has registered 1,365 new medium to large enterprises in 2011. An aggregate
investment involved is estimated PHP 1.202 billion. Top industry for new investment in 2011 are
as follows: Hotel and Restaurant-31%; Wholesale & Retail Trade-20%; Repair of Motor
Vehicles, Motorcycles and Personal & Household Goods, Real Estate & Renting Business
Activities-17%; Other Community, Social & Personal Services-8%; Financial Intermediation-
5%; Manufacturing-5%; Fishing-3%; ICT-3 %
As of 2000, there are 59 banks serving the city. This composed of 46 commercial banks, 5
savings banks, 7 rural banks and 1 cooperative bank. Aside from this, there are 48 lending
institutions as well as 49 pawnshops providing emergency loan assistance.