Eastern Visayas lies in the mid-eastern part of the Philippines, linking the north and south of the country. The region is composed of six provinces—Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte. It is rich in land, mineral, and aquatic resources. Home to the largest geothermal resource in the country to date, the region is part of the country’s economic chain since it supplies power to the national grid. Moreover, its copper cathodes, coconut, abaca, and other agriculture and fishery products have contributed toward raising the Philippine economy.
The drivers for the region’s economic growth and poverty reduction are the industries of agriculture and fishery, manufacturing, and tourism. Among its priority commodities are coconut, abaca, high-value commodity crops (e.g., banana, jackfruit, pili, pineapple, cacao, and coffee), corn, cassava, livestock and poultry commodities, and fishery products (e.g., bangus, mussels, seaweeds, crabs, and tuna). Other potential industries that can serve as employment generators and help propel further the region’s development are copper, processed marine products, processed fruits, abaca, natural health products, wearable art, other agribusinesses, and digital services.
Tourism remains one of the prime industries in the region, with Biri Island in Northern Samar and Kalanggaman Island in Leyte being among its top tourist destinations along with the iconic San Juanico Bridge.
While the region is well-endowed with natural resources, it faces a myriad of challenges. Using the PiTiK (Presyo, Trabaho at Kita) test, the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Plan 2023-2028 takes stock of how the region navigated through these challenges in the past three to four years.