The 8% Figure Changes the Business Conversation
GENERAL SANTOS CITY- The PSA reported on October 8 that General Santos City’s economy reached an estimated PHP152.60 billion in 2025, increasing 8.0 percent from the previous year’s 6.9 percent growth. PSA data also show that agriculture, forestry and fishing recorded the fastest industry growth at 15.1 percent, while construction expanded by 10.8 percent and financial and insurance activities by 10.5 percent. These numbers are more useful than a general statement that the city is “doing well” because they show which parts of the economy recorded measurable expansion. GenSan also accounted for 26.4 percent of the SOCCSKSARGEN regional economy in 2025, giving its business sector a substantial role within the region
Innovation Is Moving Closer to the MSME Level
Another piece of the October business story is the scheduled 2026 National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week, which General Santos City will host from November 25 to 29. DOST said the event will feature science-based solutions, exhibitions and partnerships, while its October 2 announcement highlighted the recognition of outstanding MSMEs assisted through the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP). SETUP provides technology assistance, training, consultancy and funding intended to improve MSME productivity and competitiveness. For GenSan businesses, the significance is not simply that a national science event is coming to the city; it also places technology upgrading and practical business solutions in the same conversation as local enterprise development.
Investment Opportunities Are Stretching Beyond Traditional Commerce
The city’s business possibilities are also being discussed beyond its established industrial identity. In September, the Department of Tourism encouraged domestic and foreign businesses to consider tourism and retirement facilities in General Santos City and Sarangani, with at least 30 investors attending the 2026 SOX Investment Tourism Forum. The DOT specifically pointed to GenSan’s existing industrial base and its concentration of canning factories while presenting the area as an investment destination with room for additional tourism-related ventures. Taken together with the latest PSA figures, this suggests a broader business landscape where agriculture, construction, finance, tourism and technology can develop alongside the industries for which GenSan is already known.
