The Philippine Statistics Authority in Samar Province held the First Dissemination Forum on Provincial Product Accounts (PPA) on December 15, 2022, at the Lucas Wharf Restaurant and Bar in Catbalogan. The forum was attended by heads and representatives of national agencies, provincial offices, private sector and civil society organizations, academia, Local Government Units, and media partners.
Regional Director Wilma A. Perante of PSA RSSO VIII and Chief Statistical Specialist Florande S. Polistico of the Subnational Economic Accounts Division delivered messages of support on behalf of the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, Undersecretary Claire Dennis S. Mapa. Meanwhile, CSS Riza N. Moraleta of PSA Samar presented the PPA results' highlights for the Province of Samar.
According to the PPA results, Samar Province recorded a Php 54.2 billion Gross Provincial Domestic Product (GPDP) or a 4.4% growth in 2021, despite a 6.2% decrease between 2019 and 2020 due to the pandemic.
Regarding the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Eastern Visayas, Samar holds an 11.8% share and ranks as the second largest contributor to the region's economy.
The PSA conducted a series of fora for the 46 provinces and 13 highly-urbanized cities, including data from nine pilot regions, such as Samar Province, for the benchmark year of 2018 and from 2019-2021.
The Provincial Product Accounts allow for measuring economic performance at the provincial and highly-urbanized city levels and monitoring economic development through the compilation of GDP at the sub-regional level.
The PSA looks forward to continuing its work on the Provincial Product Accounts with the support of partner agencies, institutions, media, and Local Government Units. —iTacloban (Source: PSA)