GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 20 April) — Papaya, once referred to as a “lowly fruit” that grows in the backyards of many households and sells for 5 to 15 pesos per kilo in South Cotabato, has outranked canned tuna, a long-time major dollar earner for Region 12 or Soccsksargen, in the list of its top 10 export products in 2025.
Crude coconut oil remained the region’s top export earner with a value of $281 million, but papaya of the solo variety landed second with export receipts of $128 million followed by canned tuna at $125 million, according to the 2025 Regional Economic Situationer (RES) released this month by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development – Region 12 (DEPDep 12).
“A notable structural shift emerged within the region’s fruit-export segment. Fresh papayas climbed to the second-highest rank in the regional export portfolio … surpassing even the region’s long-standing flagship export, canned tuna,” the report noted.
In 2024, papaya was nowhere in the top 10 export products of the region comprising the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong and Kidapawan.
Canned tuna is mainly manufactured in General Santos City, touted as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines.” The city also ships out fresh mature tuna (sashimi-grade) abroad.
The total regional export earnings for 2025 reached $1.35 billion (around P81 billion at current rates), according to the RES.
The RES is based on the 1st, 2nd and 4th quarters data sourced from the Bureau of Customs – General Santos City (BOC-Gensan).
Rounding up the top export products of Region 12 in 2025 are pineapple juice at fourth place with a value of $71.8 million, followed by refined coconut oil with $71.7 million, deodorized coconut oil with $53 million, refined bleached deodorized coconut oil with $50 million, fresh pineapple with $49 million, canned pineapple with $39 million, and crude palm oil with $35 million.
According to the RES, the export profile of Soccsksargen region continues to rely heavily on high-value agribusiness products and processed commodities, reflecting the region’s established strengths in agro-industrial production.
In 2024, crude coconut oil was still the top export earner for Region 12, followed by canned tuna, canned pineapple, pineapple juice, deodorized coconut oil, crude palm oil, fresh pineapple, refined bleached deodorized coconut oil, pre-cooked tuna, and coconut water.
According to DEPDev-12, crude coconut oil as top export earner underscores Soccsksargen’s strategic position as a key supplier in global coconut oil markets, DEPDev-12, which is headed by OIC director Romel Patrick Tanghal, said.
In 2024, the export receipts of the region reached P1.251 trillion (around $21 billion at current rates), the 2024 RES report showed. This is higher than last year’s output of $1.35 billion.
For the 2024 data, the available data from BOC-Gensan included only the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters.
Soccsksargen’s export markets include Asia, North America, and the Middle East, with Japan, the United States, and South Korea being the top export destinations, according to the 2024 RES. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
