- CHERYL G. CRUZ
Inflation rate for all income households in Bacolod City rose to 6.8 percent in September, from 6.3 percent in August, while it declined in Negros Occidental at 7.8 percent, from 8.0 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority Negros Occidental said.
PSA NegOcc chief statistical specialist Luis Gonzales said that higher inflation was registered in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 7.2 percent, alcoholic beverages and tobacco 12.2 percent, housing/water/electricity/gas and other fuels 8.4 percent, furnishing and household equipment 1.6 percent, health 1.5 percent, information and communication 0.4 percent, education services 6.4 percent, and personal care and miscellaneous services at 4.0 percent, all in Bacolod.
In Negros Occidental, there were also increases noted for alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 15.1 percent, clothing and footwear 2.4 percent, household furnishing and equipment 2.7 percent, health 2.9 percent, transport 8.0 percent, and personal care and miscellaneous services at 5.9 percent.
The PSA report released Oct. 6 also noted higher food inflation in the highly-urbanized Bacolod at 7.6 percent in September from the 7.0 percent logged in August, and the Sept. 2021 data of 1.1 percent.
“Food inflation in Negros Occidental’s slower monthly increment in the seasonally adjusted CPI (consumer price index) for Sept. 2022 resulted in a slight decrease at 9.8 percent from 10.1 percent in August 2022 and increased against Sept. 2021 of 3.8 percent,” Gonzales added.
The province’s annual growth rate for the seasonally adjusted CPI for September also increased in flour, bread and other baker products at 8.9 percent, fish and other sea foods at 7.0 percent, milk and other dairy products 6.6 percent, oils and fats 4.5 percent, sugar, confectionery and desserts 35.7 percent, alcoholic beverages 12.4 percent, and tobacco at 17.4 percent.
In Bacolod, annual growth rates showed an increase in the indices of the following commodities: meat and other parts slaughtered 8.6 percent, fish and other sea foods 9.7 percent, milk and other dairy products 8.0 percent, sugar/confectionery and desserts 24.2 percent, and non-alcoholic beverages with 3.5 percent, the PSA said.
Non-food inflation in Negros Occidental declined to 6.0 percent, brought about by a decrease in some non-food commodities like housing/water and electricity, operation of personal transport, and education services.
But in Bacolod, it rose to 6.5 percent in September from 5.9 percent in August due to the increase in almost all of the commodities except clothing and footwear, and the operation of personal transport./CGC
