Competitive Advantages of Ilocos Sur

LAND AREA andCOMPOSITION

Total Land Area: 2,579.58 km²

2 cities and32 municipalities

768 barangays

Capital: Vigan City

Topography

Undulating to rolling elevations ranging from 100 to 1,700 meters above mean sea level; fourteen municipalities are located along the Cordillera Mountain Ranges

Climate

Arid climate with dry months form November to May and wet months from June to October

Temperature

27°C mean temperature which falls to a low 25.4°C during the cold months of January and February and rises to a high of 28.7 during April and May

Demography

Total population @ 594,206; Growth rate @  1.34%; Population Density @ 230/km² (as of 2000)

Literacy Rate: 94%

Major Occupation

Agriculture andForestry: 51%

Mining and Quarrying: 0.14%      

Electricity, Gas andWater: 0.22%

Trade: 7.04%

Finance, Dwelling andReal Estate: 0.80%

Private andGovernment Services: 16.95%

Manufacturing: 5%

Construction: 4.10%

Transportation andCommunication: 4.69%

Others: 10.06%

NATURAL RESOURCES

Farming is one of the province’s two major sources of livelihood, the other being fishing. The province takes pride in being the “No. 1 Producer of Virginia Tobacco in the Philippines”. Its northernmost town Sinait is also recognized as the “Garlic Center of the North.”

Crops

Rice, corn, legumes, root crops, vegetables, tobacco, garlic, onions, fruits

Livestock

Beef, carabeef, pork, chevon, poultry, eggs. With the ongoing efforts to upgrade native goats as a result of the acquisition of US-breed goats (Boer and Oberhasli), Ilocos Sur will soon become the Goat Center of the Philippines.

Marine

Tilapia, milkfish (bangus), Malaga, seaweeds, sea urchins, prawns, oysters, groupers. Because of the very large supply of bangus fry swing to its long coastline (stretching to 11.67 kms.), the province is the number 1 supplier of bangus fry in the region.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Seaport andAirport

The Salomague Seaport within Ilocos Sur and Laoag International Airport in the adjoining province, can provide transport facilities for tourists and businessmen, it can cater both domestic and international transshipments of commodities and supplies. Rehabilitation efforts are currently being undertaken at the Vigan Airport which is classified as a feeder airport. It can accommodate small types of aircraft.

Transportation

The province is traversed by the Manila North Road, which connects it with the major regional economic centers. Air conditioned buses ply the Manila-Vigan-Laoag routes on an hourly basis. Mini-buses and jeepneys provide inter-town transportation while tricycles serve the municipal arteries.

Power

Ninety-seven percent (97%) of the province’s municipalities are energized, providing adequate power supply to industries and households. Major hydroelectric power projects are scheduled for development to augment future demand.

Water

Known for its agricultural potential, the province can comfortably accommodate farming and livestock production due to its wide are to irrigable land and the highest annual rainfall in the region. Potable water supply is distributed through piped systems in the capital town and its periphery.

Telecommunications

Digital Telecommunications (DIGITEL) provides the main telephone system in the province. Its operation is complemented by five (5) other companies (Globe, Smart, PLDT, Bayantel) providing fixed and mobile cellular phone system. Also operating in the province are 6 radio stations and 5 cable TV companies. The province also offers a complete range of telegraphic and postal services. Internet services are also provided by major telecommunication companies.

On-going telecommunications upgrading projects will be able to connect majority of the province’s municipalities with the rest of the country and abroad by the beginning of the next century. Currently telecommunications is easily accessible in the provincial capital and its periphery through land and cellular lines.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

More than 40 commercial, rural and specialized government banks provide access to start-up and operating financing. The province boasts of the lowest inflation rates in the region, giving the advantage of lower operating costs.

LABOR FORCE

The province’s more than 25,000-labor force can provide a wide array of manpower needs. Known for creativity and reliability, the force can easily be trained for pioneering industries.

Colleges, technical and vocational schools and government institutions provide critical training programs adaptable to the needs of investors.

SOCIAL AMENITIES AND RECREATION

Health care is provided at all levels by state and private health centers and hospitals. Educational institutions include a local university and a number of colleges, backed up by one of the largest base of primary and secondary educational institutions in the region.

The province’s ambience, reflected in the “bahay na bato” (ancestral hosues) dating back to the Spanish colonial period, d churches and museums quite unique in the Ilocos, easily becomes the province’s best feature for recreation. Fine gold and white sand beaches, as well as ideal sites for scuba diving and marine sports, await the adventurous.