The Inflation Rate (IR) of Northern Samar increase to 9.9 percent in December 2022. This IR is 0.3 percentage points higher compared with the 9.6 IR a month ago, and 6.9 percentage points higher than the recorded 3.0 inflation in the same period last year. The province IR is 2.1 percentage points higher than the Regional IR of 7.8 percent.

Three (3) out of seven (7) provinces, including one (1) HUC, in Eastern Visayas posted higher IR compared with their figures a month ago, while the remaining four (4) provinces has a lower IR.

Out of thirteen (13) commodity groups in the province, seven (7) commodity groups registered higher IRs while one (1) commodity group registered a lower IR during the month in comparison with their rates a month ago. Whereas five (5) commodity groups retained its IR. The IRs resulted to a 0.3 percentage point increase in the overall IR of the province for the month of December 2022.

The decrease in the province inflation was mainly brought about by a lower annual increment in the a. Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages division which has a 55.8 percent share to inflation trend and has a 38.4 percent contribution to inflation by division, with its current inflation rate of 6.1 from a 7.7 last months’ IR.

Meanwhile, a decrease in the following divisions can also be observed:

      a. Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, 7.0 percent; 
      b. Clothing and Footwear, (0.5) percent; 
      c. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, 19.7 percent; 
      d. Health, 2.0 percent; 
      e. Transport, 1.3 percent; 
      f. Restaurant and Accommodation Services, 17.1 percent; and 
      g. Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services, 2.0 percent. 

Only Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance division has an increased in inflation rate with this months’ inflation rate of 2.8 percent from last months’ 2.6 percent.

Information and Communication; Recreation, Sport and Culture; and Financial Services commodity groups retained their previous month’s inflation rates. 

For food index under food and non-alcoholic beverages division, it has a decline in their previous month’s IR of 8.7 to 6.9 percent.

Meat, fresh, chilled or frozen represents a 46.4 percent share to downtrend and a 10.1 percent contribution to January 2023 inflation with a decrease in its inflation rate to 6.3 from 17.2 IR of December 2022. 

Cereals index also posted a lower inflation rate for this month with 1.3 from 2.9 IR in December 2022.This signifies a 14.8 percent share to downtrend and a 9.1 percent contribution to this months’ inflation. 

Dates, figs and tropical fruits, fresh, has a decrease from last month inflation rate of 19.4 percent to 12.3 current month inflation. It has a 10.2 percent share to downtrend. 

While it can be observed that most of the food items has a decline in inflation rates which contributed to the downtrend in this months’ inflation rate.

Note: 

      CPIs and inflation rates by province and selected city are                 posted at the PSA website (https://openstat.psa.gov.ph/).

SGD. JULIAN E. GALLANO
Chief Statistical Specialist