Catanduanes has been listed among the 12 poorest provinces in the country, based on the latest assessment for the 2024 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI).
According to the data, Catanduanes ranks 9th, while the province of Masbate is in 5th place. Aside from these two provinces in the Bicol Region, other provinces included in the list are Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Apayao, Negros Oriental, Maguindanao del Sur, Samar, Antique, and Palawan. These provinces recorded low development, particularly in economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, resiliency, and innovation—criteria used in the annual assessment.
Meanwhile, seven municipalities in Catanduanes showed improvement in their rankings. These include San Andres, which moved from 499th to 482nd this year, Viga from 431st in 2023 to 263rd, Baras from 190th to 165th, Bato from 48th to 19th, Gigmoto from 231st to 163rd, Panganiban from 198th to 155th, and San Miguel from 234th to 212th in 2024. Among these, three towns—Viga, Gigmoto, and Panganiban—were recognized as the most improved in terms of development.
On the other hand, four towns experienced a decline in their rankings. Virac dropped from 173rd in 2023 to 200th this year, Caramoran from 583rd to 587th, Pandan from 480th to 607th, and Bagamanoc from 229th to 257th.
