/PNA
DAGUPAN CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recorded a total of 11,930 registered businesses in Pangasinan in 2018, up 13.25 percent from 10,534 the previous year.
In an interview Friday, DTI-Pangasinan trade and industry development specialist Kirk Maverick Salazar attributed the increase to the number of firms engaged in the services and trading sectors.
Of the total number of businesses, 11,057 were newly registered businesses, while 873 were renewed businesses.
Salazar said investments also increased by 6.73 percent to PHP2.195 billion in 2018 from PHP2.056 billion the previous year.
Those in the personal services sector topped the number of businesses established in the province last year with 5,393, followed by trading with 5,280, then manufacturing with 702, agribusiness with 439, and industrial sector with 116.
“Most of the businesses are still on food industry, such as café and food houses. Under personal services are spas,” he said.
Businesses in the manufacturing sector declined by 3.70 percent from 729 in 2017 to 702 last year, and those in the industrial sector dropped by 18.31 percent from 142 to 116 over the same period.
Agribusinesses in the province, however, increased by 41.61 percent to 439 last year from 310 in 2017.
