CAGAYAN de Oro City — Misamis Occidental’s economy grew by 3.8% in 2025, reaching ₱142.07 billion, but contractions in industry and agriculture raise questions about how broadly the province’s economic gains are being felt. 

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the province’s gross domestic product (GDP), measured at constant 2018 prices, increased from ₱136.83 billion in 2024. 

However, growth slowed from 7.6% in 2024, reflecting weaker performance in some sectors even as services and trade continued to drive the economy. 

The figures were presented by the PSA during the Provincial Product Accounts (PPA) Data Dissemination Forum in Ozamiz City on Oct. 13, in observance of the 37th National Statistics Month. 

Julieta M. Nacario, chief statistical specialist of PSA Misamis Occidental, said services and trade remained the main contributors to economic expansion. 

“While the 2025 expansion marks a moderation from the robust 7.6% growth rate registered in 2024, the province maintained solid momentum, buoyed primarily by a dominant services sector and strong performance in trade,” she said. 

Trade drives growth 

The services sector remained the largest part of the provincial economy, increasing in value to ₱110.32 billion in 2025 from ₱104.22 billion in 2024. It contributed 4.5 percentage points to overall economic growth. 

Wholesale and retail trade, including the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, accounted for 55% of the province’s GDP and contributed 3.2 percentage points to growth. 

Other expanding subsectors included human health and social work activities, which grew by 13.8%; education, 8.4%; professional and business services, 8.2%; and financial and insurance activities, which contributed 0.3 percentage points to overall growth. 

The figures show that services and trade are central to the province’s economy. However, the data alone do not establish whether the expansion translated into higher household incomes, more secure jobs or better living conditions for residents. 

Industry and agriculture contract 

While services expanded, the industry sector shrank by 2.8%, with its value falling to ₱19.86 billion. The decline reduced overall GDP growth by 0.4 percentage points, mainly because of contractions in construction, mining and quarrying. 

Agriculture, forestry and fishing also contracted by 2.5%, with its value dropping to ₱11.89 billion. The sector reduced overall economic growth by 0.2 percentage points. 

The declines point to areas that local officials and development planners may need to examine, particularly how weaker industry and agricultural performance affects workers, farmers, small businesses and communities that depend on these sectors. 

The provincial accounts, however, do not identify the specific causes of the contractions or quantify their effects on employment and household income. Further data and explanations from the relevant provincial offices would help clarify which industries and communities were most affected. 

Growth figures need to translate into better lives 

Misamis Occidental ranked fifth among Northern Mindanao’s seven local economies in GDP growth in 2025. Its per capita GDP ranked third and was above the regional average, according to the PSA. 

Per capita GDP measures economic output relative to population. It does not represent the actual income received by each resident or show how wealth is distributed. 

For residents, the key measure of economic progress is whether growth brings more jobs, better livelihoods and improved access to essential services. 

The latest figures give provincial officials a basis for assessing which sectors are expanding and which are falling behind. The next step is to determine how development plans, public spending and livelihood programs will respond to the declines in industry and agriculture. 

The PSA data establish the province’s economic performance, but further information on employment, farm income, business activity and poverty would help determine whether the growth is delivering benefits across communities. (With a report from Jasper Marie O. Rucat/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)