The inflation rate of Western Visayas dropped to 6.8 percent, but it is 1.4 percent higher than the national average of 5.4 percent, Philippine Statistics Authority records showed Wednesday, July 5.
The region’s inflation declined by 0.3 percent from 7.1 percent in May to 6.8 percent in June.
The region had the second highest inflation rate in June next to MIMAROPA Region at 7.2 percent, the PSA reported.
Cordillera Administrative Region registered the lowest inflation rate in the country at 3.2 percent.
While all the commodities decelerated in the Western Visayas, inflation in basic utilities like housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels rose by 1.1 percent, from 6.8 percent in May to 7.9 percent in June, the PSA said.
The inflation rate for food and non-food alcoholic beverages declined from 8.7 percent in May to 8.5 percent in June; alcoholic beverages are at 11.1 percent from 13.0 percent; health at 2.5 from 2.9 percent;
Transport at 2.1 percent from 0.5; information and communication at 2.3 from 2.4 percent; recreation, sport, and culture at 5.2 from 5.4 percent; restaurants and accommodation services at 11.7 from 12.4 percent; and personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services at 6.8 to 7.2 percent.
Education services and clothing and footwear inflation rates in the region remained the same at 0.4 and 4.2 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, the average inflation rate in the country had decreased by 0.5 percent from 6.1 percent in May to 5.4 percent in June.
The current rate is the lowest record since January as the trend continues to decelerate, PSA said.
The average inflation rate for the first semester of 2023 stood at 7.2 percent, it added.*