Socio
-Economic Profile of Bohol
Per results of the Labor Force Survey conducted in 1999 by NSO in Bohol, the
province's potential labor force increased to 691 thousand of which 66.4% are
in the labor force. Employment rate, at the end of 1999, increased to 90.5%
from 85.35% in 1998. However, an increase in underemployment was noted by 6.7
percentage points from 5% in 1998 to 11.7% in 1999.
Employment was predominantly agriculture-led. Bohol's inflation rate in 1999
increased to 11.3%, 2.5 percentage points higher than the rate in 1998. The
purchasing power of the peso at 1988 prices was pegged at P0.71 in 1999, among
the lowest in the region. A slight difference in the minimum daily wage rates
between Tagbilaran City and Bohol's municipalities was also noted at P121.00
for the city and P108.00 in the municipalities.
Based on the 1997 survey, Bohol's average annual family income , pegged at P56,940.00,
was among the lowest in the region. The average annual expenditure in 1997 for
a Boholano family amounted to P50,754.00, the highest in the region. Fifty (50)
percent of Bohol's families have their main source of income from entrepreneurial
activities while 27% from wages and salaries. In 1994, Bohol's poverty incidence
rate of 42.3% was the highest in Region 7, higher than the national average
rate of 37.5%. However, this has been decreasing over the years from a high
60.5% in 1985 and 54.7% in 1991. Monthly poverty threshold in Bohol in 1994
was at P5,978.00, higher by 24% from that in 1991. Magnitude of poor families
was placed at 44%, a decrease by 16% from 1991.
As to the flow of commodities in and out of the province from Bohol's ports,
limestone top the list of exported commodities of the province in 1998 toppling
G.I. sheets which became the number 2 exported product of Bohol. Other outgoing
top commodities include rice, banana, cattle, mangoes, native products, hog,
carabao, nipa shingles copra, raffia, salted fish, salt and cooked fish with
a total volume of 426 thousand metric tons. Plywood top the list of incoming
commodities followed by manufactured goods, appliances, hardware/construction
materials and feeds, among others with a total recorded volume of 264 thousand
metric tons for the top 15 commodities.
From this same report, it is noted that, among the incoming goods in Bohol,
the province had been importing rice over the years. In 1999, Bohol was estimated
to have imported 290,008 bags of rice per report gathered from NFA. Noteworthy,
also, is the significant increase of foreign ship calls in Bohol which the PPA
is attributing to shipments of limestone by foreign vessels. As of 1999, a total
of 34 foreign ship calls were recorded by PPA at the PSC Private Port. Also,
there was an increase in the number of domestic ship calls as well as in passenger
and outbound/export cargo in the province as reported by the agency. In 1999,
a total of 6,997 ship calls were recorded for the 7 major seaports in Bohol.
For the Tagbilaran Port, the average monthly number of ship calls for 1999 was
300 for fastcrafts and 778 for conventional vessels. A cargo increase was also
recorded with more inbound cargo than outbound cargo.
As of September 1999, the Board of Investments (BOI) Portfolio of Investments
registered one new project in Bohol costing P7.501 million in the area of alcohol
production. The combined paid-up capital of corporations and partnerships registered
with the SEC for Bohol rose to P500 million from P200 million in 1998 levels.
The number of DTI-registered single proprietorships increased in 1999 relative
to 1998 levels, but value of corresponding planned investments dropped. Average
value of intended investment per single proprietor was P132.0 million, down
from P253.117 million in 1998. Although predominantly an agricultural province,
micro and cottage industries also play a vital role in Bohol's economy.
In the light of Bohol being identified as a tourist hub, inflows in the area
of tourism and manufacturing can serve as possible venues for Bohol's future
investments. Letter of Instruction No. 75 issued on 22 May 1973 serves as a
major guideline in indicating areas for tourism related investments and infrastructure
development while Proclamation No. 1801 proclaims certain areas in Bohol as
tourist zones which includes the Islands of Panglao, Cabilao and Balicasag.
Aside from its pristine white-sand beaches and the Chocolate Hills, Bohol's
tourism assets also include centuries-old churches and towers, scuba diving
haven, majestic falls and caves and historical landmarks as well as primitive
and exotic fauna and flora. Different tourist destination sites have been developed
by the Government to boost this industry.
