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MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – Rate of price increases in Ilocos Region decelerated to 1.8 percent in August from month-ago’s 3.3 percent due to lower inflation in food and non-alcoholic beverages, transport, and education services, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
PSA Ilocos regional director Sheila De Guzman, in virtual press conference on Wednesday, said slower upticks in the prices of cereals and cereal products, vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas drove the slower food inflation rate last month.
Rice’s inflation rate in the region posted a lower rate of 10.4 percent in August from 23.6 percent in July; corn, from 35.6 percent to 24.4 percent; fruits and nuts, from 5.4 percent to 3.8 percent; and meats and other parts of slaughtered land animals from 2.6 percent to 2.1 percent.
During the same briefing, Department of Agriculture Ilocos Region project evaluation officer Jinnefer Pulmano said there was enough supply of vegetables last month following the harvest season that lo
wered the prices of the commodity.
“The weather disturbances did not affect the supply of vegetables in the region. We have enough supply,” she said.
Meanwhile, National Economic and Development Authority Ilocos senior economic development specialist Mariz Dafnae Mendoza said they are hoping for a continued deceleration of inflation rate.
For the transport index, De Guzman said decline in the prices of gasoline and diesel contributed to the lower inflation rate of this commodity group from 3.4 percent to -1.4 percent.
Gasoline’s inflaton rate decreased from 4.5 percent in July to -6.6 percent in August while it is from 8.3 percent for diesel down to -8.6.
The early childhood education services is also a contributory factor, although with very slight effect at 0.9 percent, from 6.1 percent to 5.8 percent, De Guzman said.
Other commodity groups with increased inflation rate are clothing and footwear from 4.0 percent to 4.2 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels from -3.0 percent to -0.
1 percent; furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance from 3.1 percent to 3.4 percent; recreation, sport, and culture from 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent; restaurants and accommodation services from 0.9 percent to 1.0 percent; personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services from 3.1 percent to 3.5 percent.
Inflation of flour, bread, and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals increased to 3.2 percent from 3.0 percent; fish and other seafood from 1.0 percent to 3.0 percent; and milk, other dairy products and eggs from 0.7 percent to 3.1 percent.
Among the four provinces in the region, Ilocos Norte posted the lowest inflation rate with 0.9 percent, followed by Pangasinan with 1.9 percent; Ilocos Sur, 2 percent; and La Union, 2.2 percent. (PNA)
Source: Philippines News agency
