Socio-Economic Activities of the Province

Agricultural production is the major economic activity of the province. Large portion or 30.15% of the province’s total land area is identified as agricultural land which are planted to rice, corn, industrial and commercial crops such as coconut coffee, abaca and rubber; fruit crops like banana, mango, pineapple, durian, calamansi, mandarin, and lanzones and vegetable crops to include root crops and tubers. Generally, the province has great potentials for food production.

Fishery sector in the province has not been doing vibrantly as its production has been insufficient compared to total consumption requirement of the province’s populace. Recent data show (Table 47) that out of 14,870.55 metric tons of fish consumptions requirement of the around 687,195 population of the provine in 2014, only around 19 percent was satisfied by the fish produced in the province. The remaining 81 percent was supplied by sources from the neighboring sources from the neighboring cities and provinces, like Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, and General Santos City.

The production of livestock and poultry in the province is largely dependent on backyard raising. Commercial production is waning due to the soaring costs of feeds and other production inputs. In 2014, livestock and poultry production in the province totaled 18,469.00 metric tons against the demand of level of 7,759.46 metric tons or a surplus of around 10,709.54 metric tons.

The mining and quarrying industry of Compostela Valley Province has gained significant recognition in the region and even in the whole country. Internally, it is being reckoned as second to agriculture that has substantial contribution to the economy of the province.

Declared as “mineral hub” of the Davao Region, the province continues to be the target site of the mining companies in the country. In 2014, the Mines and Geo-Science Bureau (MGB) of Region XI divulged the there were 74 applications filed in their office to secure Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSA) to cover the toal of 158,760.78 hectares of land area in Compostela Valley Province, yet only 6 were denied. Also, there were 85 applications filed securing for Exploration Permit (EP) at the 72,089.34 hectares of land, however only (5) applicant to cover the 72,089.34 hectares approved and registered, 17 under process while 39 denied.

There are 692 industrial and manufacturing establishments in the province, which are categorized mostly as small-scale industries. Table 53 shows that Monkayo has the largest number of establishments at 227, closely followed by New Bataan with 225 while Monkayo ranked third with 144 establishments. Montevista, on the other hand, has the least number accounted to 16 establishments.

Most of the industrial establishments present in the province are motor mills concentrated in Monkayo, Pantukan New Bataan and Maragusan. Gold Tunneling and gold processing industries are found mostly in municipalities known with gold ore extraction activities such as New Bataan, Pantukan, Monkayo, Maragusan, Maco, and Nabunturan (Table 53).

The number of registered commercial establishments in the province is accounted to 9,359 of which 5,828 establishments or 62.3 percent are engaged in retail trading activities, 2,437 or 26.0% in services category and at least in number are businesses that ventured into real estate activities.