MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL (PIA)–Despite the health and economic crisis brought about by coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 contagion, Regional Development Council (RDC)-10 Chair and Misamis Occidental Governor Philip Tan said Region 10 still has one of the fastest-growing economies in Mindanao.
“We are number one in pineapple and cattle production; number two for crops such as sugarcane, banana and coconut, corn, tomato, papaya and cassava; and number three for chicken production and swine; number four for gold; and number five for rubber,” Tan said during the CORDS-X Podcast with Communications Sec. Martin Andanar, August 1.
Northern Mindanao is 83 percent rice sufficient, he added.
For corn, the region is in excess with 114 percent corn sufficiency. He added that the Department of Agriculture (DA)-10 has been supporting the farmers as well as the processors in the agriculture industry.
This year, the agriculture sector has been given enough funding for rice and corn seeds, and fertilizers.
Social services
For social protection, a total of 244, 453 households are under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program while there are 5,700 beneficiaries of livelihood, business, and employment assistance including the youth, solo parents and persons with disability.
About 24,511 informal sectors and workers were also given immediate aid through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged / Displaced Workers (TUPAD), 6,000 beneficiaries for Special Program and Employment for Students (SPES) and 2,000 Government Internship Program beneficiaries.
For the underweight children, the region was able to give proper meals through the supplementary feeding programs with 13,000 beneficiaries while there are 148,000 indigent senior citizens covered under the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens. For clients who need immediate cash assistance, 49,000 individuals were served through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) .
As for the crime rate in the region, the Philippine National Police has recorded a decrease from 28.56 percent for every 100,000 population in 2018 to 27.18 percent in 2019. (SMRN/PIA Misamis Occidental)