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Mindanao
Land, People and Government
Mindanao
is the second largest island in the Philippines with a land
area of 102, 043 square kilometers, comprising one third of
the country's total land area.
Mindanao is home to a quarter
of the Philippines' total population.
Estimated at 18,120,000 in 2000, Mindanao's relatively young
population (2 out of 5 people under 15 years old) grows at
an annual growth rate of 11.9%. Of the 6, 700,000 labor force,
only 6, 100,000 are employed.
Economy
With vast natural resource
base and locational advantages, Mindanao's economy
is mainly agri-based and export oriented. More than 60% of
GRDP comes from agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors.
Exports continue to grow at an annual rate of 18.4%. Likewise,
investment has increased at an average annual rate of 31%.
Mindanao accounts for the production
of the country's main agricultural crops such as rubber (100%
of national production), pineapple (91%), banana, corn, coffee
and coconut (over 50%). It is also a major producer of livestock,
mango and crabs. Mindanao is endowed with rich in mineral
resources, including gold, zinc, iron, chromite and manganese.
Non-metallic resources abound in the region to include, marble,
salt, sand, gravel, silica, clay and limestone.
Economic Indicators
| GRDP (growth rate) |
3.90% |
| Family Income |
3.60% |
| Growth in Investments |
31.0% |
| Growth in Exports |
18.4% |
| Growth in Bank deposits |
22.6% |
| Growth in Loans |
37.8% |
| Growth in Energy Use |
31.0% |
Infrastructure
Mindanao's infrastructure program
focuses on physical integration, upgrading and expansion of
telecommunications throughout the island.
Airport
Mindanao has three alternate
international airports - Davao City, General Santos City and
Zamboanga City. Two trunk line airports serve the commercial
areas of the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Cotobato. Likewise,
a number of feeder ports serve other communities and towns
with less air traffic.
Ports
Mindanao has five (5) international
ports of entry and several domestic base ports and terminal
ports which caters to both passenger and cargo traffic. Port
facilities in base ports are equipped with storage areas,
transit sheds, container freight stations and marshalling
yards, passenger terminals, water hydrants, roll on - roll
off rams, reefer outlets, and weighbridges, among others.
Road
Mindanao road network connects
all major population centers with all segments either paved
or in the process of being paved. Total road length (including
bridges) is 68,611 kms. Total length of bridges is about 61.94
kms., comprising 22 percent of the country's total length
of bridges.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications network,
incorporating IDD-NDD, cellular, fax, telegram, and Internet
access, services all major cities and is now being expanded
to cover rural areas.
Palawan
Palawan
is the largest province in the Philippines comprising 1,768
islands, roughly one fourth of the Philippine Islands chain.
It is bounded on the north and west by the South China Sea
and on the east by the Sulu Sea. The Balabac Strait separates
it from Borneo.
With Puerto Princesa as capital,
the province is grouped into three major islands: Calamian
in the north, Dumaran-Cuyo in the northeast and Balabac-Bugsok
in the south. The provincial limits are from Busuanga Island
in the north, Cuyo Islands and Cagayan Islands in the east,
Balabac in the south, and Spratly Islands in the west.
Palawan has a cultural minority
population
of 93,691 composed of Tagbanuas, Pala'wans, Batacs, Calamianes,
Ken-Uys, Jama-Mapuns, Molbogs, Cagayanos, Agutayanos, and
Tau't Batu. Palawan's ethnic diversity, is reflected in the
number of languages and dialects spoken. About 40% speak native
tongues: Cuyuno (by 25%), Pinalawan, Tagbanua, Cagayano, Agutayano,
and Batak. The non-native tongues are Tagalog (by another
25%), Ilonggo, Cebuano, and Muslim dialects.
Economy
The economy
is primarily agricultural accounting for the country's production
of major crops: palay, corn and coconut. Mineral resources
include nickel, copper, manganese, and chromite. Logging is
also a major industry. Palawan has one of the richest fishing
grounds in the country. It also has 25,000 hectares of mangrove.
About 45% of Manila's supply of fish comes from here. The
province is also one of the main areas of oil exploration
in the country.
Major components of Palawan's
GRDP comes from agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors.
Exports continue to grow at an annual rate of 18.4%. Likewise,
investment has increased at an average annual rate of 31%.
Economic Indicators
| GPDP |
|
| Ave. Annual
Family income (1994 prices) |
78,541 |
| Investments
Generated (in million pesos 2001) |
509.431 |
| Exports (in
million US$ 2001) |
5.318 |
| Inflation
Rate (1994=100) |
1.3 |
Infrastructure
Airport
Puerto Princesa is about an
hour from Manila by airplane. Several airlines provide daily
trips to the city. Several smaller airstrips in Coron, Cuyo,
El Nido, Roxas, Taytay and Culion provide additional air access
to Palawan.
Ports
Domestic shipping lines link
Puerto Princesa, Coron, Taytay and Cuyo to ports in other
provinces.
Telecommunications
Three telecommunications firms
provide direct dialing service.
Key Indicators
links:
Mindanao - http://www.medco.gov.ph/mindanao/mindanao.htm
Population - http://www.medco.gov.ph/trends_demography.htm
Economy - http://www.medco.gov.ph/trends_macroeconomy.htm
Airport - http://www.mindanao.org/infrastructure/03.htm
Port - http://www.mindanao.org/infrastructure/01.htm
Roads - http://www.mindanao.org/infrastructure/02.htm
Telecommunications - http://www.medco.gov.ph/mindanao/tele
Palawan - http://www.lpp.gov.ph/pp/palawan.html
Population - http://www.census.gov.ph/data/sectordata/prov53.html
Economy - http://www.philippinebusiness.com.ph/economic_stats/economy.htm
See related links:
Provincial Profile - League
of Provinces of the Philippines
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