City of Puerto Princesa

The headline inflation in the City of Puerto Princesa further declined to 6.6 percent in January 2023, from 7.9 percent in December 2022. In January 2022, the headline inflation was lower, at 4.1 percent. (Table A and Figure 1)

The decline was mainly brought by the lower annual increments in the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages index at 9.5 percent. This is followed by Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels at -0.2 percent, Clothing and Footwear at 10.5 percent and Transport, at 7.7 percent (Table B).

On the other hand, higher indices were observed in the following commodities:

a.    Restaurants and Accommodation Services, 10.0 percent;
b.    Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Good and Services, 7.9 percent;
c.    Furnishings,    Household    Equipment    and    Routine    Household Maintenance, 7.8 percent;
d.    Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, 10.4 percent; and
e.    Recreation, Sport and Culture, 9.4 percent.

Meanwhile, the rest of the commodity groups maintained their previous month’s inflation rates.

Food index for January 2023 further decreased to 9.5 percent, lower than its previous month’s value of 11.8 percent. In January 2022, the food index was lower, at 6.7 percent (Table C).

During this period, the decline in the food index can be mainly attributed to the decline in Fish and Other Seafood, at 1.2 percent. This is followed by Rice, at 2.0 percent and Meat and Other Parts of Slaughtered Land Animals, at
15.5 percent. Furthermore, lower indices were observed in the following commodities:

a.    Fruits and Nuts, 21.9 percent;
b.    Oils and Fats, 10.7 percent;
c.    Sugar, confectionery and desserts, 38.5 percent;
d.    Ready-made Food and other Food Products n.e.c., 8.8 percent; and
e.    Corn, -6.3 percent.

On the other hand, the following food commodity groups also exhibited an increase in inflation rates:
a.    Vegetables, Tubers, Plantains, Cooking Bananas and Pulses, 14.4
percent;
b.    Flour, Bread and other Bakery Products, Pasta Products and other Cereals, 15.3 percent; and
c.    Milk, Other Dairy Products and Eggs, 10.4 percent;