THE chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on MSME Development said Occidental Mindoro, once widely associated with persistent power outages, emerged as the country’s fastest-growing local economy in 2025 after posting an 11.2 percent growth rate.
Citing data gathered by the Philippine Statistics Authority, House Committee on MSME Development chairman and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tarriela said Occidental Mindoro’s performance marked a sharp turnaround from years of recurring electricity problems that had affected households, businesses, and investors, earning Occidental Mindoro the reputation of being a ‘brownout capital.’
Tarriela said the province’s economic growth reflected the impact of improvements in the power situation, infrastructure development, and increased economic activity.
‘From being known as the ‘brownout capital’ to becoming the country’s fastest-growing local economy, this shows that development can be achieved through cooperation and sustained effort,’ Tarriela said.
Tarriela said resolving the province’s power crisis had been among his key priorities, requiring sustained coordination with the Department of Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission, National Electrification Administration, National Power Corporation, Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, and various power suppliers.
He also credited the national government under President Marcos for its intervention in addressing the province’s long-standing electricity problems.
The improved power situation was followed by increased public and private investments in agriculture, energy, transportation, and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, and ports.
The province also saw the establishment of a 7.4-megawatt solar power plant in San Jose, as well as private investments in cold storage facilities, batching plants, diagnostic centers, hospitals, schools, and shipyards.
Tarriela said the improved investment climate contributed to stronger participation among micro, small and medium enterprises, while generating jobs, increasing consumer spending and supporting tourism activity in the province.
He said Occidental Mindoro’s economic turnaround showed how addressing basic infrastructure and power constraints, combined with national government support and private-sector participation, could help accelerate growth in provincial economies.