Baguio City has emerged as the wealthiest city outside Metro Manila and ranks 10th among highly urbanized cities in the country, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Despite slower growth at 5.8 percent in 2024, the city posted a gross city domestic product of ₱178.85 billion, translating to ₱485,433 in goods and services produced per person.
While industry and services remain Baguio’s key economic drivers, city officials are examining the environmental and social costs of its prosperity through a quality-of-life survey set to conclude by November.
Baguio is promoting ecotourism, a circular economy, and a smart city transformation to ensure sustainable growth and livable conditions by 2040.
Experts, however, warned that economic concentration in Baguio and Benguet may widen disparities within the Cordillera region, despite their role as its “economic nucleus.”
Source: PhilNews24 | October 15, 2025
