Western Visayas’ inflation rate steadied at 4.8 percent in August but remained higher than the neighboring Visayas regions and the national average, records from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
PSA records showed that the region’s inflation rate from July to August remained at 4.8 percent, which is 1.5 percent higher than the national average which is at 3.3 percent.
The 4.8 percent is also higher compared to other Visayas regions with Central Visayas at 3.4 percent and Eastern Visayas at 3.3 percent.
Of the region’s average inflation rate, the inflation of food and non-alcoholic beverage was at 6.2 percent, alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 3.7 percent, clothing and footwear at 3.6 percent, housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 5.6 percent, furnishings, household equipment and maintenance at 2.4 percent;
Health at 3 percent, transport at 0.7 percent, information and communication at 0.9 percent, recreation, sport and culture at 4.2 percent, education services at 7.3 percent, restaurants and accommodation services at 6.2 percent, financial services at -1 percent, and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services at 3.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the current national inflation rate at 3.3 percent is 1.1 percent lower than July which was at 4.4 percent.*