MNLF siege exacts toll on Zambo trade

From the Manila Standard Today (Aug 19): MNLF siege exacts toll on Zambo trade

The siege by the fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front in September 2013 caused the economy in this highly urbanized city and in the entire Western Mindanao to plunge.

The three-week attack caused Western Mindanao’s economy to dip by 8.64 percent, or to 4.34 percent in 2013 from 12.98 percent in 2012, the National Statistical Coordination Board said here recently.

NSCB  Region 9 Director Mewchun Pamaran said the raid also adversely affected the economy of other parts of Western Mindanao that covers Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte and their urban communities.

The assault caused the massive destruction of the semi-urban Muslim-Christian villages of Sta. Catalina, Rio Hondo, Sta. Barbara, Talon-Talon and Kasanyangan, prompting the city government to relocate thousands of displaced residents to the eight-hectare Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex in Barangay  Baliwasan and other  evacuation sites.

The siege caused the death of some 300 responding soldiers and policemen, rebels and civilians and wounded many others. It also moved many victims to  take refuge with their relatives in other parts of the region even as plane flights from Manila and bus travel within the region were suspended during the period.

Pamaran said Western Mindanao’s industry sector plunged “from 31.2 percent in 2012 to 4.3 percent in 2013, while its manufacturing sub-sector, which accounts for 26.1 percent of the total economy, sank to 0.1 percent in 2013 from 35.2 percent in 2012 due to the decline in food production.”

He said the other sub-sectors of industry such as mining and quarrying, construction, electricity, gas and water supply or EGWS were also affected, “with mining and quarrying dwindling from 0.6 percent in 2012 to -13.0 percent in 2013 due to the decline in gold production, ”while the EGWS recorded a “depleted growth of 2.9 percent in 2013 from 4.0 percent  in 2012.”

Due to the slowdown in Transport, Storage and Communication OR TSC, Trade and Repair, and Real Estate Renting and Business OR RERB, Pamaran said, the Service sector also waned last year to 6.1 percent  from 9.6 percent  two years ago.

Pamaran said TSC’s “8.2 percent  in 2012 diminished to 2.4 percent in 2013 while Trade and Repair shrank by 8.4 percent,  or from 10.5 percent  in 2012 to 2.1 percent last year.”

RERB also “plunged by 13.3 percent, or from 17.3 percent in 2012 to 4.0 percent in 2013, although Financial Intermediation grew from 11.7 percent in 2012 to 14.2 percent  last year due to the increased outputs of banks and non-banks,”  added Pamaran who remained  optimistic that with the aggressive effort of local government  leaders, coupled with the  support of civic groups, Western Mindanao will rise from the ashes of the tragic event.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/08/19/mnlf-siege-exacts-toll-on-zambo-trade/