Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) recorded significant gains in the economy, education, and poverty reduction in 2024 despite the impact of natural calamities and global economic uncertainties, according to the Regional Development Council (RDC) chairperson and Apayao Governor Elias Bulut Jr.

“We braved a series of successive typhoons in the last quarter alone while national and global economic ripples created uncertainties in the economy around the world, including ours, yet we pressed on, undaunted, united and resilient,” Bulut said in his State of the Region Address delivered on Wednesday during the third quarter full council meeting in a hotel here.

“These challenges revealed once again the true spirit of the Cordilleran people,” he added.

The region posted 4.8 percent economic growth in 2024, while per capita Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) climbed to PHP201,088, the second highest in the country after the National Capital Region.

“This means better living standards and greater economic opportunity for every Cordilleran,” he said.

With no data yet for 2024, Bulut said the poverty incidence dropped to 4.4 percent in 2023 from 6.9 percent in 2021, the lowest nationwide.

Baguio City recorded the lowest rate at just 0.5 percent, followed by Kalinga at 2.6 percent and Apayao at 4 percent.

Stable inflation at 3.3 percent, down from 5.4 percent, also boosted household purchasing power and created a more favorable business environment.

Unemployment fell to 2.3 percent, lower than the national average, ensuring more stable incomes for Cordilleran families.

On education, Bulut highlighted that the region ranked first in functional literacy at 81.2 percent, far above the national average of 70.8 percent.

It also recorded a 92.7 percent basic literacy rate, the second highest nationwide.

He also cited progress in governance, as all provinces and most municipalities advanced to higher economic classifications, with nearly all local government units (LGUs) receiving a Gawad Kalasag Award for disaster risk reduction and resilience.

Bulut underscored Apayao’s designation as the fourth UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Philippines.

“The region also listed the fourth UNESCO biosphere reserve in the country in Apayao. We take pride in this inscription, strengthening our claims as the watershed cradle of the northern Philippines and affirming our global role in biodiversity protection,” the governor of Apayao said.

Looking forward, Bulut said the RDC aims for 7.9 percent economic growth by 2026, leveraging renewable energy potential.

Strategic sites across the region have been identified for hydropower development, including Benguet’s three large dams and Apayao’s proposed 2,000-megawatt hydropower project, which has already secured “green lane” status from the Board of Investments.

“The Cordillera has vast potential for growth while preserving its environment and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples. This is the direction we are determined to pursue to further strengthen the region’s economy,” Bulut said. (PNA)