The economy of Western Visayas grew by 6.4 percent in 2025 at P683.44 billion, the fastest-growing economy among the country’s 18 regional economies.

During the dissemination forum in Iloilo City on Thursday, April 23, Philippine Statistics Authority Regional Director for Western Visayas Nelida Amolar said the recorded growth of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) was an acceleration from the 4.4 percent performance in 2024.

“This growth rate translated to an increase of P40 billion in the region’s GDP in 2025, from P642.47 billion in 2024 to P683.44 billion worth of goods and services produced in 2025, all valued at constant 2018 prices,” Amolar said.

All major industries posted positive growth, with agriculture, forestry and fishing (AFF) making a major rebound from its -7.4 percent performance in 2024 to 9.5 percent last year, accounting for 14.9 percent of the regional economy.

The industry sector, in the meantime, accelerated to 4.3 percent from 4.1 percent, and contributed 18.6 percent to the regional economy.

The services sector, however, slowed down to 6.3 percent from 7.5 percent, with a 66.5 percent share of the regional GDP.

In terms of gross regional domestic expenditure, household final consumption expenditure (HFCE), net exports to the rest of the world, and government final consumption expenditure (GFCE) were the top contributors to regional growth.

The HFCE accelerated by 5.3 percent in 2025, contributing 5 percent to the regional growth. The net exports, which contracted by 3.5 percent, and the GFCE, which decelerated to 7.6 percent, also contributed 2.2 percentage points and 1.1 percentage points, respectively.

Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) 6 (Western Visayas) Director Arecio Casing Jr. said the 6.4 percent growth is a significant acceleration, which even outperformed the national growth rate.

“This not only exceeded our regional target but also surpassed the projected growth range of 5 (percent) to 5.5 percent. This demonstrates our region’s ability to outperform expectations despite global uncertainties and domestic adjustments,” he said.

He added that the quality of growth is equally worthy to note, with a low unemployment rate of 4.1 percent and a single-digit 9.8 percent poverty incidence among families.

“Our 2025 performance confirms that Western Visayas is not only growing faster but also growing more inclusively, reinforcing the need to sustain employment generation and protect the gains in poverty reduction,” he said.

Meanwhile, despite the moderate growth of the services industry, he said it remains the dominant pillar of the region’s economy.

Casing added that the strong rebound of the AFF sector from its negative performance was supported by improved production conditions following the severe impacts of El Niño.

“This sector’s rebound highlights the critical role of climate-resilient agriculture mechanization and sustained supportive services in strengthening food security and rural livelihoods,” he said.

He added that Western Visayas enters 2026 with a solid and balanced economic foundation, supported by the agriculture sector and driven by productivity-enhancing and climate-resilient interventions; an industry sector anchored on infrastructure development and construction activity, and the services sector driven by tourism, business services, and digital transformation.

“The 2025 economic performance of Western Visayas tells a compelling story. A region that is growing faster, creating jobs, and diffusing poverty yet facing the strategic challenge of transforming growth into long-term investment-driven and productivity-led development,” he said.PNA