First Quarter 2001 Regional Economic Situationer

Western Mindanao

 

Text Box: Source of Basic Data: BIR IX B. Other Proxy/Practical Indicators

 

1. Tax Collection

Tax collected for the 1st quarter of 2001 totaled P268.7 million. This was 27.2 percent higher than the P211.2 million collected for the same quarter of last year (Annex 11). The BIR was also able to surpass its collection target for the first three months of the year by P5.0 million, over its target of P263.7 million. This is primarily due to the efforts made by the Zamboanga City District Office and Pagadian City District Office since the rest of the BIR District Offices did not meet its collection goal. The increase collection could be attributed to the higher collection by Authorized Agent Banks (AABs), tax remittance advice (TRA) from DBM through the withholding tax from government contracts mostly from infrastructure projects, revenue official receipts (ROR) and tax debit memo (TDM) of some of the big establishments in Zamboanga City and Pagadian City.

 

All the provinces/cities had a much higher tax collection rate this 1st quarter 2001 except for Basilan, which had a 25.9 percent decline (P8.4 M to P6.3 M) over last year. This could be attributed to the perceived peace and order problem in some areas of the province. Zamboanga City had the highest collection at P165.2 million or almost two-thirds (61.5%) of the total collection. Pagadian City ranked second contributing 21.2 percent. Tax collection registered a 23.2 percent increase, from P46.3 million to P57.1 million. Similarly, Dipolog City’s collection increased by 10.9 percent, from P36.2 million to P40.2 million, contributing 15.0 percent.

 

2. Vehicle Registration

 

A total of 26,929 vehicles were registered in the region during the 1st three months of the year, 90 percent of which were renewal while the remaining 10.0 percent were new registration (Annex 12).  This figure is higher by 12.4 percent compared to the 23,953 vehicles registered in the same quarter of last year. New vehicle registrations reported a 5.4 percent increase, from 2,329 vehicles to 2,455 vehicles this quarter, most of which were motorcycles, tricycles and utility vehicles. Vehicle renewal reached 24,474 units this quarter compared to 21,624 units last year or 13.2 percent increased, half of which were also MC/TC.

 

In terms of class of vehicles, private vehicles, which increased by 15.1 percent, comprised 75.5 percent or 17,671 vehicles, 66.7 percent of which was renewal and 8.9 percent for new registration. Much of the increase was due to higher registration of motorcycles, tricycles and new utility vehicles. For hire vehicles, which comprised about 21.0 percent of the total vehicles registered likewise increased by 5.8 percent due higher registration of motorcycles/tricycles and utility vehicles. On the other hand, government vehicle registrations declined by 1.4 percent due to the decrease in the renewal, however, new registration increased by 11.1 percent.

 

3. Sea Transportation

 

A total of 5,233 shipcalls - the bulk of which was from domestic ships - were made in the region for the 1st quarter of the year, lower than the 6,465 shipcalls recorded in the same quarter last year (Annex 13).  The only port that post higher number of shipcalls was the private ports wherein a total of 16 port call were made this quarter compared to 13 a year earlier.

Cargo throughputs decreased by 2.8 percent, from 509,099 metric tons (MT) in the 1st quarter of 2000 to 494,949 M.T. in the 1st three months of this year. Domestic cargoes declined while foreign cargoes increased most of which were rice importation, fertilizers, and industrial salt and transport equipment imported by Hanjin Construction. Majority of the foreign cargoes were unloaded in the private ports including export of coconut oil and marine products. On the other hand, the bulk of the domestic cargoes were discharged in Zamboanga Baseport, however this is lower compared a year ago. It is noteworthy that there was an increase of 59.6 percent, 34.6 percent and 10.0 percent increase in the volume of cargoes reported in Isabela, Lamitan, and Malangas respectively.

 

Passengers’ traffic were reportedly lower by 1.3 percent, from 1.128 million to 1.114 million this quarter. In spite of the decline in the ships bound for the ports of Isabela and Lamitan, higher passenger traffic were reported. Malangas port had a 3.5 percent increase in passenger traffic even though it had maintained the same number of shipcalls. On the other hand, Zamboanga City and Pagadian port experienced lower passenger traffic.

 

4. Air Transportation

 

While total number of passengers increased by a minimal 0.2 percent, total volume of air cargoes declined by a minimal 0.3 percent (Annex 14A).  The declined could be attributed to the political and economic crisis (i.e. the fall of the peso and fluctuating stock market) that the country experienced in the last quarter of 2000 until the first two months of the year 2001.

 

Only Dipolog airport registered an increase in air passengers (19.7%) and cargoes (21.4%) while the rests of the airports experienced lower passengers and cargo shipments compared last year. Zamboanga City Airport did not sustain its passenger traffic even though many candidates in the national elections had campaigned in the city.

 

Shipments of cargoes to the region increased by 2.6 percent while shipments of cargoes going out of the region declined by 2.6 percent. This led to a 0.3 percent drop in the overall air cargoes, from 1.769 million kg in the 1st quarter of 2000 to 1.763 million kg in the same period this year (Annex 14B). 

 

The Zamboanga City International Airport is still the drop off point of most of the cargoes in the region as it contributed 88.0 percent of the total cargo handled; this however is much lower compared a year ago.  On the other hand, Ipil Airport more than doubled its incoming cargoes, from 5820 kg in the 1st quarter of 2000 to 15,520 kg this quarter.

 

5. Postal Services

For the first quarter of 2001, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PPC) posted a total of 869,351 mails, a decrease of 0.3 percent over the first quarter of 2000 figure of 871,811 mails as both international and domestic registered mails went down (Annex 15A). For the same period a total of 4,990,939 mails were delivered, a decrease of 3.9 percent over the same quarter of 2000 figure of 5,195,592 mails (Annex 15B).

 

A total of 22,354 units of money orders with an aggregate value of P20.245 million were issued, lower by 1.0 percent over the 1st quarter of 2000 value of P20.459 million although there were more money orders issued this quarter. The decline of money transactions can be attributed to the use of money transfers through bank transactions, which is faster and cheaper. Money orders paid during the period have a total of 21,524 units with a value of P22.183 million, higher than the P15.365 million reported last year.  Moreover, telegraphic transfer of money more than double from P437,045 in the 1st quarter of 2000 to P959,684 this quarter (Annex 15C).

 

Revenue for the period amounted to P8.430 million which is 1.5 percent lower or P124,189.79 than the gross income of P8.554 million for the same period in 2000 Postage stamps sales remained the primary source of revenue (P5.8 million), contributing 67.4 percent of the total generated revenues, followed by postage metered machine sales (P1.6 million), contributing 19.0 percent and domestic money order fees (P606 thousand) contributing 7.2 percent of the total revenues although the last 2 sources were much lower than the amount reported a year ago (Annex 15E). On the other hand, total expenditures for the 1st quarter have reached P24.937 million, which is 9.9 percent higher compared a year ago (Annex 15D). The increase in expenditures was the results of increase in personal services and maintenance services especially in the fuel cost.

 

6. Energy Demand and Energy Sales

 

The energy sales of the region for the first quarter of 2000 increased by 9.7 percent, from 144,210.61 MWH in 2000 to 158,134.65 MWH in 2001, brought by the increased energy sales of SIOM, MC-PNOC and BASELCO during the period (Annex 16A).         The energy demand of the region likewise increased by 4.6 percent brought about by the increased demand from electric cooperatives (Annex 16B).

 

7. Science and Technology

Three (3) high priority projects were pursued by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) during the first quarter of 2001, and these were Packaging, Pro-poor, and Mindanao projects (Annex 17).

 

The agency assisted ten projects relative to the development of packaging systems for selected ethnic foods, and four projects each under the Pro-poor and the Mindanao projects. Among the Pro-poor projects were the Integrated Marine-Based Farming for the MNLF in Dinas, Zamboanga del Sur (ZDS); Apiary for Rural Working Women in Alicia, ZDS; Bricks and Ceramics Making; and Peace and Development Community Model Project on Crop/Livestock (vegetable, rice and goat) production. The Mindanao projects on the other hand, includes Lobster Floating Cage Culture in Tabina, ZDS; Upgrading of Noodles Factory in Lawaan, Dapitan City; Fish Processing in Tugbungan, Zamboanga City; and Calamansi Processing in Sta. Maria, Zamboanga City. As the above projects were still at the pre-investment phase, the assistance extended by DOST IX was either in the preparation of Project proposal or feasibility study; or in the preparation, finalization, and signing of MOA. The concerns on organizational preparation and resource mobilization were also considered. The projects would only commence when the needed facilities have been procured.

 

Under the technology transfer and commercialization program, a project on food processing, specifically, on noodles making was implemented at Brgy. Marcelo, Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte. There were fifteen (15) people employed by the project during the first quarter of 2001.

 

The S & T laboratory services were earnestly extended to walk-in clients. Records show that more physical/chemical analyses were conducted which totaled to 224 compared to the 123 microbiological analyses done. The metrology services rendered, however, totaled to 29 only. Apparently, a bigger number of clients were served for physical /chemical analyses as against the other laboratory services.

 

The formal training program consisting of trainings conducted by the DOST and those attended by its staff was strengthened for capability building purposes, while an orientation/seminar was conducted for sericulture.There were two (2) trainings on food security. It is worthy to note that 11 out of the 14 trainings were conducted for women, community leaders, and Lingap recipients in Basilan.

 

The trainings attended by DOST IX staff included quality Control in Food Canning, Basic Sanitation and Hygiene for Food Plant Workers, and Orientation Seminar on Sericulture Industry. In addition, there were seminars and on the Administrative and Financial Management of DOST Regional Laboratories, and on the Integrated Planning and Budgeting Workshop.

 

Aside from the training program, the S & T scholarship programs were made available to also enhance S & T Capability. For school year 2001-2002, a total of 1,217 students applied for scholarship, all of whom were graduating high school students.

Finally, a program to assist investors was launched and for the first quarter, training and technical consultancy were provided to the Improved Rice Hull Stove and the Vertical Bioreactor Projects.

 

8. Public Order and Safety

 

The crime statistics in the region is categorized into index and non-index crimes.  Index crimes are those which are sufficiently significant and which occur with sufficient regularity to be meaningful. Included in this category are crimes such as murder, physical injury, robbery, theft and rape.  Non-index crimes on the other hand are all other crimes not considered as index crimes.

 

Both index and non-index crimes in the region had declined by 28.6 percent, from 440 cases to 314 cases and from 274 cases to 231 cases, respectively (Annex 18).  This led to a decline in the total crime volume by 23.7 percent. However, total crime solved also declined by 21.5 percent in spite of the much higher crime solution efficiency rate. This in turn led to the decrease in the average monthly crime rate (per 100,000 population) by 1.9 percentage point, from 7.5 to 5.7.

 

Thirty percent (30.0%) of the total crimes were committed in Zamboanga City most of which were non-index crimes. On the other hand, more index crimes were committed in Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur and Basilan. Except for Zamboanga del Norte, total crimes reportedly committed in other provinces/city were lower than last year. 

 

On the average, there were 10 crimes committed monthly for every 100,000 population in Basilan, Zamboanga City (9 crimes per 100,000), Zamboanga del Norte (6 crimes/100,000 population), and Zamboanga del Sur (3 crimes/100,000).