PSA: Dinagat Islands economic growth Caraga’s fastest, PH’s No. 4
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced that the Province of Dinagat Islands posted the fastest growth among economies in Caraga region in 2024 at 9.6 percent with gross domestic product at P13.84 billion, during the 2024 Provincial Product Account (PPA) Dissemination Forum held in San Jose, Dinagat Islands on September 25.
According to PSA’s PPA report, all provinces and the lone highly urbanized city in Caraga region registered growth in their respective economies in 2024. Dinagat Islands posted the fastest growth at 9.6 percent. This is followed by the city of Butuan at 8.7 percent; Surigao del Norte at 7.3 percent; Agusan del Norte at 6.48 percent; Surigao del Sur at 6.46 percent; and Agusan del Sur at 5.0 percent.
In terms of economic structure, Dinagat Islands shared 53.2 percent in Industry, 41.5 percent in Services and 5.3 percent in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing.
The report further disclosed the 2024 economic performance of the 82 provinces and 33 HUCs in the country that posted economic growth from their levels in 2023. Eastern Samar has the fastest economic growth at 10.2 percent. This was followed by the city of Puerto Princesa at 9.8 percent, Batanes at 9.57 percent, Dinagat Islands at 9.56 percent, and Bataan at 9.3 percent. Of the top 10 fastest growing economies, seven were provinces while three were HUCs. Moreover, the top 10 provinces and HUCs recorded economic growths faster than the 2024 national GDP growth rate of 5.7 percent.
Banking on this achievement, Dinagat Islands Governor Nilo P. Demerey Jr. proudly said, “The Province of Dinagat Islands is no longer one of the poorest provinces in the country. This significant recognition will inspire the current leaders of the province to do more and work harder in sustaining the economic growth of the province and bring better lives for the Dinagatnons.”
Meanwhile, to effectively disseminate the PPA results, the Macroeconomic Accounts Service of the Sectoral Statistics Office of PSA, in collaboration with the Regional Statistical Services Offices (RSSOs) and Provincial Statistical Offices (PSOs), has conducted a series of provincial dissemination fora from 25 September to 16 October 2025.
PSA Dinagat Islands Planning and Development Coordinator Jorge C. Daligdig shared that in Caraga there was a simultaneous dissemination of the 2024 PPA result to the respective provinces in the region on September 25.
The Provincial Product Account (PPA) that started in 2021 is aligned with the Philippine System of National Accounts (PSNA). It is a framework designed to present a comprehensive picture of the provincial and HUC economies to strengthen the planning and decision-making of provincial policymakers and other stakeholders. Through the PPA, the GDP or the economic performance of the provinces and HUCs are estimated. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands)
