WESTERN Visayas may have posted a 4.3 percent economic growth in 2024, as reported by this paper today, but the numbers tell a sobering story when viewed beneath the surface.
The region’s agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AFF) sector — a historic backbone of rural livelihood — remains stuck in the mud, showing virtually no growth and dragging down the overall economic momentum. This stagnation is a red flag indicating structural vulnerabilities that could undermine the region’s long-term development.
The Philippine Statistics Authority reports that the AFF sector contributed only 14.5 percent to the region’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), amounting to P93.16 billion. Crop production, which accounts for more than half of this, was hit hard by the El Niño phenomenon. Livestock and fisheries, too, posted weak performances. Forestry remained dormant, registering zero growth for the second year in a row. These are symptoms of a sector battered by climate variability, outdated farming techniques, and limited access to modern technologies.
Despite years of rhetoric on food security and rural development, agriculture in Western Visayas is still heavily reliant on traditional methods and favorable weather. This fragility exposes our farmers to the full brunt of every typhoon, drought, or market fluctuation, while the rest of the economy forges ahead powered by expanding services and industry. If this trend continues, we risk creating a two-speed economy — one modern and urban, the other impoverished and rural.
What is urgently needed is a paradigm shift in how we support the AFF sector. Substantial investment must be channeled into modernizing agricultural practices — through mechanization, irrigation, climate-resilient crops, and farmer education. Infrastructure projects, such as better farm-to-market roads and inter-island connectivity via the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridge, are vital, but they must be complemented by reforms that directly empower farmers and agri-fisheries stakeholders.
It is high time the region treats agriculture not as a legacy sector, but as a potential growth engine. With the right policy attention and technological infusion, agriculture can rise from a recurring liability to a cornerstone of inclusive economic progress. Otherwise, we will continue to celebrate regional growth that leaves too many behind.
The AFF sector’s stagnation is a test of our commitment to equitable development. If we truly aim for prosperity that uplifts all, agriculture must no longer be left behind.
