Inflation rate in
Eastern Visayas escalates to 3.1% in May 2021
By
PSA-8
June 19, 2021
TACLOBAN CITY –
Inflation Rate (IR) in Eastern Visayas escalated to 3.1 percent in
May 2021. This IR is 0.3 percentage point higher compared with the
2.8 percent IR in April 2021. This May IR of the region is also 1.3
percentage points higher than the recorded 1.8 percent IR in the
same period last year.
In comparison with the
national average IR, the regional IR is 1.4 percentage points lower
than the 4.5 percent national IR in May 2021.
Among the provinces, only
Southern Leyte and Leyte registered decreases in IRs. Southern
Leyte’s IR declined to 3.3 percent in May 2021 from 4.1 percent in
April 2021, a reduction by 0.8 percentage point. Leyte’s IR,
meanwhile, decreased to 0.9 percent in May 2021 from 1.4 percent in
April 2021. It was the lowest IR among the provinces during the
month in review. Samar registered the highest increase in IR by 1.6
percentage points. Its IR rose to 8.3 percent in May 2021 from 6.7
percent in April 2021. It recorded the highest IR among provinces
during the reference month.
Northern Samar grew by 0.9
percentage point, registering 1.6 percent IR in May 2021. Biliran’s
0.6 percentage point increase in IR brought its level to 5.5
percent. While Eastern Samar’s IR settled at 5.4 percent, prompted
by the 0.5 percentage point increase during the month in review.
Majority of the 11
commodity groups in the region exhibited higher IRs in May 2021
compared with their rates in April 2021. Transport commodity group
registered the biggest increase in IR by 0.8 percentage point. Its
double-digit IR of 12.9 percent in April 2021 grew to 13.7 percent
in May 2021. This can be traced to higher double-digit IRs for both
operation of personal transport equipment (28.9%) and transport
services (10.1%).
Housing, water,
electricity, gas and other fuels commodity group recorded 3.1
percent IR in May 2021, higher by 0.7 percentage point from the 2.4
percent IR in April 2021. This growth can be attributed to the
higher IRs in the indices for electricity, gas, and other fuels
(8.7%), maintenance and repair of the dwelling (2.1%), and water
supply and miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling (0.9%).
The IR for food and
non-alcoholic beverages commodity group increased to 2.2 percent in
May 2021 from 2.0 percent in April 2021. Lower IRs were noted in
majority of the items under this commodity group. However, these
were offset by faster IRs noted in other food indices resulting to
0.2 percentage point increase in IR for food and non-alcoholic
beverages commodity group.
Fruits index registered
the highest decrease of 5.3 percentage points, from 2.9 percent IR
in April 2021 to 2.4 percent deflation in May 2021. The IR for
vegetables index managed to shed off by 2.9 percentage points from
its 3.2 percent IR in April 2021, posting 0.3 percent IR in May
2021.
The IR for sugar, jam,
honey, chocolate, and confectionery index also declined by 0.2
percentage point, settling at 1.4 percent during the month in
review. Corn index further deflated to 4.1 percent. Decreased IRs
were also registered in the indices for meat (8.9%) and
non-alcoholic beverages (0.4%).
Meanwhile, prices of fish
picked up at a faster rate of 6.4 percent in May 2021 from 5.3
percent in April 2021. Faster price increases were also noted in
indices for food products not elsewhere classified (3.7%); milk,
cheese, and eggs (2.2%); and oils and fats (1.6%). Rice and bread
and cereals continued to register deflations in May 202 but at a
slower rate of 1.0 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.
The IR for clothing and
footwear commodity group increased by 0.2 percentage point, pushing
its IR to 2.0 percent in May 2021.
Compared with its April
2021 levels, IR for communication commodity group inched up by 0.1
percentage point, registering to 0.7 percent IR in May 2021.
Recreation and culture
commodity group continued to record deflation but at a slower rate
of 1.4 percent in May 2021 from 1.5 percent in April 2021.
Only the commodity group
of restaurants and miscellaneous goods and services registered a
decrease in IR. Its IR declined to 2.8 percent in May 2021 from 3.6
percent in April 2021.
Meanwhile, alcoholic
beverages and tobacco; furnishings, household equipment, and routine
maintenance of the house; health; and education commodity groups
retained their previous month’s IRs at 6.9 percent, 3.2 percent, 1.6
percent, and 0.5 percent, respectively.
The Purchasing Power of
Peso (PPP) of the region weakened to P0.76 in May 2021. This PPP
implies that the goods and services worth P76.00 in 2012 is now
worth P100.00 in May 2021.
Compared with their levels
in April 2021, PPP in Biliran strengthened by P0.01, while PPP in
Northern Samar and Samar weakened by P0.01. The rest of the
provinces retained their previous month’s PPP. Leyte recorded the
strongest PPP among provinces in May 2021 at P0.80. Biliran ranked
second at P0.79, followed by Southern Leyte at P0.78, Eastern Samar
at P0.73, and Northern Samar at P0.71. Samar posted the weakest PPP
during the reference month at P0.69.