In the First Semester of 2023, SOCCSKSARGEN Region recorded a total of 31,401 registered live births by Usual Residence of Mother, marking a significant increase of 28.20 percent from the same period in 2022 (see Table 1). South Cotabato Province exhibited the highest growth rate in birth registrations, with a remarkable increase of 282.41 percent in the First Semester of 2023, followed by Sultan Kudarat Province.

The Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households in SOCCSKSARGEN Region decreases to 4.6% in June 2024 from 5.0% in May 2024.

Other Crops total production of SOCCSKSARGEN Region in 2023 decreased by 0.09 percent compared to the same period in 2022. Fruit Crops and Vegetables and Root Crops (VRC) decreased by 0.57% and 4.15% or 11,984.0 MT and 6,464.8 MT, respectively. Non-Food and Industrial Commercial Crops (NFICCs) have increased by 0.64 percent or 14,806.7 MT on the same reference period.

Other Crops total production of SOCCSKSARGEN Region in first quarter 2024 decreased by 3.1 percent compared to the same period in 2023. Non-Food and Industrial Commercial Crops (NFICCs) slightly decrease by 0.1% or 118.8 MT, Fruit Crops and Vegetables and Root Crops (VRC) decreased by 4.5% and 33.0% or 21,609.3 MT and 10,860.1 MT, respectively. on the same reference period.

The Labor Force Survey (LFS) is a quarterly survey of households conducted nationwide by the PSA to gather data on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population. It adopted the 2013 Master Sample Design, with a sample size of approximately 44,000 households nationwide. The PSA makes use of the tablets through the Computer Aided Personal Interviewing (CAPI) in the quarterly field enumeration starting in the January 2017 round of the LFS.

Merchandise Trade The export value decreased by 18.1 percent to US$1133.361 million in August 2023 from US$162.881 million in August 2022. The volume of exports totaled up to 133.304 million kilograms in August 2023 from 137.308 million kilograms the previous year. The value of imports slightly increased by 1.1 percent to US$87.546 million in August 2023 from US$86.630 million in August 2022. Imports volume was up to 174.868 million kilograms in August 2023 from 204.418 million kilograms in August 2022.

The export value decreased by 1.5 percent to US$119.792 million in July 2023 from US$121.555 million in July 2022. The volume of exports totaled up to 117.288 million kilograms in July 2023 from 117.569 million kilograms the previous year. The value of imports decreased by 16.4 percent to US$79.429 million in July 2023 from US$95.028 million in July 2022. Imports volume was up to 157.705 million kilograms in July 2023 from 147.754 million kilograms in July 2022.

Exports value decreased by 30.0 percent to US$97.272 million in June 2023 from US$138.935 million in June 2022. The volume of exports totaled up to 88.801 million kilograms in June 2023 from 95.887 million kilograms the previous year. The value of imports decreased by 46.8 percent to US$72.868 million in June 2023 from US$136.971 million in June 2022. Imports volume was up to 224.682 million kilograms in June 2023 from 215.308 million kilograms in June 2022.

YEAR-ON-YEAR INFLATION RATE The Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households in SOCCSKSARGEN Region increases to 5.8% in April 2024 from 5.1% in March 2024.

During the reference period, the total agricultural output of SOCCSKSARGEN Region decreased by about 0.6 percent from 7.46 million in 2022 to 7.42 million metric tons in 2023.