Stronger protection vs inflation sought

MANILA, Philippines —  Sen. Bong Go has called for stronger measures to protect Filipinos from rising living costs after the country’s headline inflation accelerated to 7.2 percent in September.

Concerned state agencies should intensify price monitoring, address supply bottlenecks affecting essential commodities and ensure that government assistance programs remain responsive to families hit by rising prices, Go said.

Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Oct. 6 showed that headline inflation rose to 7.2 percent in September from 6.1 percent in August.

The latest figure brought average inflation from January to September to 5.4 percent.

One of the primary drivers of the increase was food and non-alcoholic beverages, wherein inflation accelerated to 6.7 percent from 4.6 percent the previous month, the PSA said.

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels registered an inflation of 8.4 percent, while transportation recorded 14.6 percent.

Health-related prices rose by 5.6 percent.

Government interventions should prioritize sectors with the least financial flexibility, including poor families, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, workers earning modest incomes, farmers, fisherfolk and other vulnerable groups, Go said.