GUIMARAS – The prices of basic goods and services in Guimaras eased to 3.3 percent in September 2021, lower than the 3.4% inflation in August 2021 and September 2020, based on the result of the Retail Prices Survey (RPS) conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The 3.3% inflation in September 2021 and October 2020 were the slowest rate in 13 months, while the 5.5% inflation rates in February and April 2021 are the fastest.
“The slower pace in the overall inflation in September was due to the slowed indices of eight commodity group items, tempered by two commodity groups which remained steady,” said Provincial Statistical Officer Nelida Losare.
The eight commodity group items which moved a bit slower in September include the following:
* alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 15.6% from 16.6%
* clothing and footwear at 2.1% from 3.1%
* furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, 4.3% from 4.4%
* transport, 10.9% from 16.4%
* recreation and culture, 0.3% from 0.6%
* restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 7.5% from 9.6%
* housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, -0.6% from -1.7%
* education, 0.0% from 5.1%
The slower annual rate of change of Transportation Services and; Operation of Personal Transport Equipment’s indices at 16.5% and 8%, respectively, drove the Transport Commodity inflation to slow in September 2021 by 5.6 percentage points.
The two commodity groups which remained steady are the Communication and Health with 0.1% and 1.9% inflation rate, respectively.
Losare said that of the eleven (11) commodity groups only Food and Alcoholic Beverages moved quicker at 3.5% in September from 2.9% in August 2021.
“The above-mentioned food and non-food commodity groups were the items being monitored during the Retail Price Survey (RPS) conducted by the PSA wherein for September 2021, it generated a CPI of 129.5 which means that an average household in Guimaras needs PHP29.5 more in September 2021 to buy a basket of goods worth PHP100 in 2012,” Losare expounded. (PSA/PN)
