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Competitive Advantages
of Ilocos Sur
LAND AREA & COMPOSITION
Total
Land
Area: 2,579.58 km2
2
cities & 32 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 & Forestry: 51%
Mining and Quarrying: 0.14%
Electricity, Gas & Water: 0.22%
Trade: 7.04%
Finance, Dwelling & Real Estate: 0.80%
Private & Government Services: 16.95%
Manufacturing: 5%
Construction: 4.10%
Transportation & Communication: 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 & Airport
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.
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