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Inflation eases to 4.4% in January

Patricia Lourdes Viray - Philstar.com
Inflation eases to 4.4% in January
In this Jan. 14, 2019 photo, market goers buy vegetables at the Baguio City market. The country's headline inflation continued to ease from 5.1 percent in December to 4.4 percent in January.
The STAR / Andy Zapata Jr.

MANILA, Philippines — The slowdown in the annual increments of food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages and tobacco, and transport contributed to the easing of the country's headline inflation in January.

The Philippines' annual headline inflation continued to move slower at 4.4 percent at the start of the year, the lowest since last April, the Philippine Statistics Authority announced Tuesday.

Six of eleven major commodity groups posted slower annual increases last month, including food and non-alcoholic beverages.

"For food and non-alcoholic beverages, food items like rice, meat, fish, milk, cheese and eggs, and vegetables contributed to the deceleration in inflation in January 2019," the PSA said.

Tobacco also registered a slowdown in its annual rate with 21.3 percent in January.

Petroleum and fuels for personal transport equipment, domestic air fare and ferry or ship fare were also factors to the cooling down of inflation.

Meanwhile, four major commodity groups retained their annual rates from December — communication, recreation and culture, education and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.

In the National Capital Region, year-on-year inflation also slowed down to 4.6 percent in January. Areas outside the metro also posted a 4.4-percent inflation.

The highest annual mark-up was observed in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at 6.1 percent, while the lowest was recorded in the Cordillera Administrative Region at 3.1 percent.

The PSA noted the the continuing month-on-month growth in the country could be attributed to non-food commodities, particularly housing, water, electricity, gas and other fules, furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house and restaurant and miscellaneous services. 

This is a developing story

PHILIPPINE INFLATION

As It Happens
LATEST UPDATE: January 1, 1970 - 8:00am
September 4, 2020 - 9:08am

Headline inflation slows for the first time in three months to 2.4% in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority announces Friday.

The PSA says this was a result of a 2.5% year-to-date average inflation for 2020.

August 5, 2020 - 9:10am

Headline inflation quickens to 2.7% in July, the Philippine Statistics Authority announces Wednesday.

This was a result of a 2.5% year-to-date average inflation for 2020. The PSA also says the reason for the increase in July inflation was the faster movement of transportation prices.

 

 

July 7, 2020 - 9:06am

Headline inflation, as measured by consumer price index, accelerates to 2.5% year-on-year, the first time it gained pace this year.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas earlier projected inflation to fall between 1.2% to 2.7%.

May 5, 2020 - 9:25am

Headline inflation eases to 2.2% in April, the first month of the enhanced community quarantine in several areas due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the year-to-date inflation for this year slowed down to 2.6%, which is lower than April 2019's inflation at 3.0%.

The latest inflation rate is the slowest in five months since last November's 1.3%.

 

 

January 7, 2020 - 9:10am

Headline inflation increased by 2.5% in December 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority says in a briefing. 

"This brings the annual average inflation for 2019 to 2.5%," it also says.

Headline inflation rose to 1.3% in November 2019 after bottoming to a 43-month low of 0.8% in October.

The government's target inflation range for 2019 was 2-4%.

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