CENTRAL Visayas emerged as one of the country’s strongest trading hubs in the first quarter of 2026, posting the second-highest domestic trade outflow value and the second-largest favorable trade balance nationwide despite an overall slowdown in Philippine domestic trade.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the total value of domestic trade in the Philippines declined by 19.8 percent year-on-year to P820.81 billion in the January-to-March period from P1.02 trillion a year earlier, as weaker water-based trade pulled down overall activity.
Still, Central Visayas stood out with traded commodities worth P100.50 billion, accounting for 12.2 percent of the country’s total domestic trade value during the quarter. This made the region the second-biggest source of traded goods by value, behind only Calabarzon’s P331.62 billion.
The region also posted the second-highest favorable trade balance in the country at P74.37 billion, meaning the value of goods shipped out from Central Visayas far exceeded the value of goods entering the region. Only Calabarzon recorded a higher positive trade balance at P247.82 billion.
A favorable trade balance is considered a sign of strong production and distribution activity because it shows a region is supplying more goods to other parts of the country than it receives.
Nationally, road transport remained the main driver of domestic trade, accounting for 64.1 percent of total trade value, followed by water transport at 35.8 percent and air transport at 0.1 percent.
Among commodities, machinery and electrical equipment recorded the highest trade value nationwide at P200.96 billion, equivalent to 24.5 percent of total domestic trade value. This was followed by optical and medical instruments worth P118.70 billion and processed food, beverages and tobacco products valued at P117.36 billion.
Meanwhile, in terms of trade volume, the country’s domestic trade fell 35.3 percent year-on-year to 10.17 million tons in the first quarter from 15.72 million tons in the same period last year. Road transport accounted for the largest share at 50.6 percent, followed closely by water transport at 49.3 percent. / KOC