Region 12 Area Profile
The region is composed of 4 province
and 5 Cities
Political Composition
Per Executive Order 36 issued on September 19, 2001. Region XII now includes the provinces of Cotabato, Saranggani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, and the cities of Cotabato, General Santos, Kidapawan, Koronadal and Tacurong
Land Area
Region XII has a total land area of 19,196.57 sq. km., which is about 18.5% of the total land area of Mindanao. Among the four provinces of the region, Cotabato has the biggest land area at 6,019.78 sq. km., which is about 30.4% of the region’s land area. The smallest among the provinces is Sultan Kudarat with a land area of 4,401.06 sq. km.
Among the five cities of the region, General Santos City has the biggest land area at 668.49 sq. km., with Tacurong City as the smallest with a land area of 161.96 sq. km.
Population
The population of Region XII in 2000 was 3.222 million persons. This was almost 18% of the Mindanao total population. The average annual population growth rate from 1995 to 2000 was placed at 2.68%.
The population density of Region XII increased from 138 in 1995 to 168 persons per square kilometer in 2000. Cotabato City and General Santos City are the most densely populated areas in the region. The population density of these areas was 1,108 and 616 persons per sq. km., respectively in 2000.
Transportation
 The region has a relatively well-developed transportation system, which is critical in strengthening its ties with other economic growth centers in other parts of the country and the world. It is served by an international airport located in General Santos City and a trunk line airport in Awang, Maguindanao.
The port of General Santos City is the biggest seaport of the region, which was categorized as port of entry, and caters to large inter-island vessels for passengers and cargo. It also accommodates international vessels from Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia. The region has one sub-port located in Cotabato City and 2 municipal ports located in Kalamansig and Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat Province.
Communication
Aside from the transportation network, the region is linked with the rest of the world via modern telecommunications facilities. Major private telephone carriers are serving the region, such as the PLDT, Bayantel, Smart and Globe, among others. Cellular sites, as well as, Internet service providers, are generally present in urban centers of the region. However, it is recognized that these services should also reach the rural areas for increased accessibility to centers of economic growth.
Economy
Region XII is endowed with rich natural resources and has the potential of becoming one of the fastest growing regional economies in the country. The provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat, as well as, General Santos City (SOCSKSARGEN), had been provided with modern infrastructure support under SOCSKSARGEN Area Development Project. The province of Cotabato and neighboring provinces are recipients of the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project. All these initiatives were meant to support agricultural activities in the region as a major food supplier to domestic and export markets.
 The cities of Cotabato and General Santos serve as the region’s major financial, business, institutional, education and service centers.
The economy of the region grew at a slower pace of 2.3 percent in 2005 from a 5.8 percent growth in 2004. The deceleration in the 2005 economic performance was largely attributed to the slump in Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry (AFF).
Major Crops
Rice, Corn, Coconut, Pineapple, Asparagus, Cassava, Sugar, Banana and Rubber
The total value of investments generated in the first semester of 2006 amounted to P2.767 Billion, or 7.3 percent higher than last years record of P2.578 Billion.
The total export earnings of the region in the first semester of 2006 was US$177.1225 Million, which grew by 6.8 percent compared with last year’s earnings of US$165.876 Million.
Gen. Santos City International Airport
Major Exports
 Fresh/Canned/Frozen tuna, Other fish products, Fresh/Canned pineapples, Frozen octopus/shrimps, Fresh bananas, Coconut/Crude/ Cochin-type coconut oil, Copra pellets, Cutflowers, Asparagus and Okra, Abaca pulp, Garments, Aquaculture products, Gifts and houseware products.
A considerable increase in visitor arrivals by about 36 percent was noted from 299,492 visitors in the first semester of last year to 407,041 visitors this semester.
The average inflation rate for the first semester of 2006 dropped to 6.0 percent, reflecting a decrease of 1.9 percentage points from last year’s estimate of 7.9 percent.
Employment rate during the period was estimated at 94.1 percent, which translated to a total of 1.498 million employed persons. Underemployment rate was estimated at 29.7 percent or a total of 445,000 persons.
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Facts and Figures
