DEVELOPMENT UNEVEN

But if we look closely at recent data and disaggregate them, what surfaces is a more complex picture of Mindanao.

It still goes without saying that the poorest, most backward regions and provinces are located in Mindanao.

But within Mindanao, development is uneven.

Some places are growing at a faster clip than others. In fact, some Mindanao regions are among the recent top national performers.

Let us review the 2016 economic data for the 17 Philippine regions. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, all regions registered domestic product growth between 2015 and 2016.

It might be surprising to find Eastern Visayas having the fastest growth at 12.4%. But then, the Eastern Visayas output had a low base, particularly in the aftermath of the destructive Typhoon Yolanda. The massive rehabilitation effort funded by the national government budget and foreign aid was the big economic boost for Eastern Visayas.

Perhaps surprising — especially for those who believe that Mindanao is lagging — is that among the top economic performers are two regions in Mindanao, namely: Davao and Northern Mindanao, with growth rates of 9.4% and 7.6% in 2016, respectively. The growth rates of Davao and Northern Mindanao surpassed the Philippine gross domestic product