TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—It may have been a good Christmas season for Bohol’s low-income groups, as in December 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reports a slowing of price movements of basic commodities and primary goods from 3.2 percent in November to 1.6 percent.
Provincial statistician Jessamyne Anne Alcazaren on Tuesday, said that inflation for those in the bottom 30 percent income households here, decelerated to 1.6 percent.
This is in fact, 0.9 percentage points lower than the national inflation rate for this group which recorded a 2.5 percent rate and also the same with the 2.5 percent inflation rate in the region.
The slowing down of inflation rates for the group is influenced by the slower yearly increase in the index prices of the more heavily weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages and tobacco and furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance according to the PSA.
This too came despite higher inflation rates for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, health and transport.
With this, food inflation for the same group braked to 1.6 percent from 5.5 percent in the previous month, Alcazaren pointed out.
This noted slowing down of food inflation is led by slower price movements in cereals and cereal products, milk and other dairy products and eggs, the monthly tracking of the movement of prices reveal.
As farm food producer, Bohol also experienced slower price stirs in vegetables, tubers, plantains and cooking bananas, ready made food and food products and oils and fats.
And, considering that December is the start of the harvest, prices pf food which could be sourced everywhere, could most certainly behave.
PSA also noted faster price movements in meat and other parts of slaughtered animals, fish and other seafood, fruits and cakes and sugar, confectionery and desserts.
It may be noted that in November, Bohol struggled to put in the cordons to contain yet another onset of the incursion of the African Swine Fever (ASF).
And while livestock growers surrounding areas where infections happen volunteer to have their hogs depopulated as per established government animal disease control protocols, people take the opportunity to sell with the assumption that the holidays would yet be another lechon season. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)
