BAGUIO CITY — The Cordillera offices of the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) here disclosed the region’s economy remains resilient as it grew by 2.0 percent last year from 1.7 percent the previous year.

Benjie Navarro, NSCB-CAR regional director, explained the positive growth in industry and services offset the decline in agriculture and fisheries during the said period, thus, the slight increase in the region’s economic growth.

Based on the statistical report, the industry sector, which accounted for 60.8 percent of the region’s total output, accelerated from 0.1 percent in 2008 to 2.1 percent in 2009.

Construction soared by 23.3 percent last year from 6.9 percent the previous year due to the remarkable growth in public infrastructure.

Mining and quarrying further contracted by 8.6 percent due to the decline in gold and copper production.

Furthermore, the electricity and water sub-sector slowed down to 3.1 percent last year from 6.7 percent in 2008 due to the reduction in power generation.

The NSCB and NEDA report added the manufacturing, the major contributor to industry, shrank by 2 percent last year which significantly affected the region’s slow economic growth.

The service sector, which contributed 25.4 percent of the region’s economy, continued to increase but at a slower rate of 4.1 percent last year from 5.2 percent the previous year. Finance grew the fastest among the service sub-sectors at 7 percent last year due to the significant increase in the number of banks during the year. Private services continue to grow but at a slower rate of 6.8 percent last year.

Government services accelerated from 3 percent in 2008 to 4.6 percent last year. Telecommunication services and trade grew by 2.9 and 20 percent, respectively. ODRE continued to grow but at a lower rate of 1 percent.

The agriculture and fisheries sector, which contributed 13.8 percent to the region’s economy, declined by 1.8 percent last year; a reversal from its 2.5 percent growth in 2008. The weak performance of the sector was largely attributed to the decline in production of palay and other crops brought about by the onslaught of typhoon Pepeng.

The industry sector put in 1.3 percentage points to the region’s overall growth. Services contributed 1 percentage points while agriculture deducted 0.3 percentage points.