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About
the Area
Area
7 covers some provinces comprising Region X
and the whole of the CARAGA Administrative Region
or Region XIII. The regions lie at the northern
portion of the island of Mindanao, occupying
a land area of 28,328 square kilometers, 25
percent of Mindanao and 14 percent of the country's
territory. It is the fourth largest region.
It is composed of seven provinces namely, Agusan
del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Camiguin,
Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Norte, and Misamis
Occidental. There are seven cities namely, Butuan,
Cagayan de Oro, Gingoog, Origuieta, Ozamiz,
Surigao and Tangub.
The
area is a contiguous land mass, except for the
two provinces, Misamis Occidental and Camiguin.
Misamis Occidental is a part of the Zamboanga
Peninsula while Camiguin is an island province
off the region. Forestland of the region accounts
for 62 percent, 75 percent of which is established
timberland. Its forest resources are the traditional
source of wealth of the region. Northern Mindanao
is the largest timber producer of the country.
The
water resources consist of 29 river basins with
annual water run-off of 65 million cubic meters,
second highest in the country. Groundwater storage
is estimated at 15 million cubic meters. Lake
Mainit, one the country's major lakes can be
found in the region.
Basically
an agricultural economy, the area is the country's
third largest corn producer and also the third
largest banana producer. Its fisheries production
posts P90 million, richly contributed by the
three fishery sectors. Its mineral production
garners P800 million. The area is fast becoming
the agro-industrial center the government envisions
it to be what with its rich production of natural
resources. It houses the country's largest industrial
estate, the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Misamis
Oriental. It also accommodates the government's
grandiose plan that will make it become the
heavy industrial center of the south-the Cagayan-Iligan
Corridor Master Plan. Specifically, the Corridor
will be one of the major agro-industrial and
trade centers of Southern Philippines, modernizing
agriculture, processing local agro-based resources
into industrial inputs and bridging the gap
between agriculture and industry.
Water
supply development
There
are 29 operational water districts in Area 7
serving 33 towns and cities.
The
water district associations whose presence are
felt not only in the area but in the whole country
as well are the Northern Mindanao Water Information
Council and the Mindanao Association of Water
Districts. Cagayan de Oro City WD, Butuan City
WD and Surigao Metro WD are the area's acknowledged
leaders.
Recipients
of LWUA Loan Assistance Program in the Area
in 2004: San
Francisco, P18.000 million; Gingoog, P13.585
million; Hinatuan, P2.684 million; Nasipit,
P17.144 million; Cantilan, P19.901 million;
Lianga, P12.133 million; Tagbina, P10.116 million;
and Bunawan, P16.169 million.
Area
7's average collection efficiency is 83.2% while
the average non-revenue water is 30%. Water
sources are wells (31), springs (18) and surface
water (11).
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