Transport through waters dominated shipments of domestic goods in the fourth quarter of 2013, comprising 99.8% of the 4.5 million tons total, preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.
The total value of commodities that flowed within the country increased 5.2% to P149.18 billion in 2013 from P141.76 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012 even as quantity of domestic trade transactions decreased 9.6% from 5.04 million tons reported in the same period of last year.
Shipment through water was the foremost mode of transport, comprising 99.7% and 99.8% of the movement of goods in fourth quarter of 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Food and live animals accounted for the largest share among the commodities transacted throughout the country in the fourth quarter of 2013, amounting to P48.16 billion or 32.3% of the total.
Second were machinery and transport equipment valued at P27.26 billion (18.3%), followed by manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials worth P20.69 billion (13.9%).
Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes had the least value of P2.42 billion (1.6%).
Most of the traded commodities came from the National Capital Region, with the value of domestic trade transactions totaling P44.28 billion (29.7%) in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Central Visayas accounted for the next largest with P25.43 billion (17.0%), followed by Western Visayas with P20.41 billion (13.7%). Northern Mindanao accounted for P18.72 billion (12.5%).
Cagayan Valley’s domestic trade contributed the least share among the regions valued at only P20,000.
In the fourth quarter of 2013, the National Capital Region posted the most favorable trade balance at P18.59 billion.
Other regions which exceeded the billion-peso positive trade balance were Central Luzon with P8.03 billion, Bicol Region with P1.53 billion, and SOCCSKSARGEN with P1.27 billion.
On the other hand, Eastern Visayas suffered an unfavorable trade balance of negative P5.11 billion, reflecting the devastation and disruption to trade caused by Supertyphoon Haiyan in early November.
Other regions with more than a billion negative trade balances were Zamboanga Peninsula (P4.60 billion), Central Visayas (P4.50 billion), Calabarzon (P4.49 billion), Mimaropa (P3.34 billion), Caraga (P2.74 billion), Western Visayas (P1.94 billion), and Davao Region (P1.28 billion).––Roumina M. Pablo
