By Helen Castaño | 11:59 AM June 11, 2025
Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, also the Regional Development Council (RDC) chairman, said that for the second consecutive year, the Central Visayas emerged as the fastest-growing economy in the country.
In his 2025 State of the Region Address (Sora) of RDC’s 2nd quarter full council meeting on Wednesday, Aumentado reported that the Gross Regional Domestic Product surged to ₱1.276 trillion — posting a strong 7.3 percent growth rate.
“This reinforces our position as the fourth-largest regional economy and the biggest in Visayas and Mindanao,” he said.
Aumentado reported that Services sector continued to dominate the regional economy, still accounting for the largest share of the region’s total gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2024 at 70 percent share, followed by Industry and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries sectors.
Within the Services sector, the rebound of tourism had higher tourist arrivals and receipts, accommodation and food services grew by 14.6 percent, while transport, health and social work services also surged.
Per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was at ₱187,520—a 6.2 percent increase from the previous year. Inflation remained manageable at 3.2 percent, well within the regional development plan target range of 2.5 to 4.5 percent in 2024.
Aumentado reported that ₱27.96 billion in approved investments for 22 projects — ₱17 billion of which were from local investors. These brought over 3,400 new jobs into the communities.
He said the region’s employment rate improved to 97.1 percent, though underemployment remains a challenge at 8.6 percent.
Poverty incidence among families dropped from 22 percent in 2021 to 12.3 percent in 2023—the second biggest reduction nationwide.
Aumentado said 2024 was not just a productive year but was a defining year for Central Visayas.
“We began with unwavering resolve — to deliver the priority policies and strategies we committed to as a Council, with one clear goal in mind: to drive inclusive growth that elevates the lives of every Central Visayan, ” he said.
