Eastern Samar posted the fastest economic growth in Eastern Visayas in 2024, recording a 10.2 percent expansion—the only double-digit increase among the region’s six provinces and one highly urbanized city, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The PSA’s 2024 Provincial Product Accounts showed that all economies in the region improved last year, with Tacloban City following Eastern Samar at 8.2 percent, and Southern Leyte at 7.1 percent, both exceeding the regional average of 6.2 percent.
The PSA attributed Eastern Samar’s strong performance to improvements in infrastructure, public services, and local investments in key sectors such as construction, trade, and services.
Data revealed that the services sector accounted for 54.2 percent of the province’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), serving as the backbone of its economy.
“A significant portion of our investments goes to construction and agriculture. If you travel around the province, you will see several farm-to-market roads — both improved and newly concreted,” said Joselito Abrugar, Eastern Samar provincial planning and development officer.
He noted that land travel from Maslog to Dolores, once only possible by boat, is now accessible by road—signifying major infrastructure progress.
Regionwide, Leyte remains the only province with an industry-based economy (53.9 percent), while other provinces and Tacloban City rely primarily on services, which make up as much as 77.1 percent of Tacloban’s GDP.