Table 1. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates: Philippines, MIMAROPA, and Romblon: 
Bottom 30% (2018=100) 

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Retail Price Survey of Commodities

Romblon’s inflation rate for the bottom 30% income households decelerated to 1.0 percent in December 2024 from 2.6 percent in the previous month. In December 2023, the inflation rate was posted at 9.4 percent (Table 1). Meanwhile, the average inflation for the year was computed at 5.0 percent.

The main contributors to the inflation trend of this income group in December 2024 includes the Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages with 2.6 percent (with 95.3% contribution to overall inflation), from 3.9 percent in the previous month. It was followed by Personal Care and Miscellaneous Goods and Services with 2.1 percent (2.4% contribution to overall inflation), Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance with 0.9 percent (1.2% contribution to overall inflation) and Clothing and Footwear with 1.1 percent (1.2% contribution to overall inflation).  

The following commodity groups showed accelerating year-on-year growth rate in December 2024.
    a. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, 5.7% (77.5% share to overall inflation)
    b. Health, 0.6% (0.6% share to overall inflation)
    c. Transport, -0.8% (-4.0% share to overall inflation)
    d. Recreation, Sports and Culture, 5.1% (4.8% share to overall inflation)

Meanwhile, Clothing and Footwear (0.6%), Information and Communication (0.0%), Education Services (0.0%), Restaurant and Accommodation Services (4.0%) and Financial Services (-11.1%) remained at their previous month’s rate.

Main Contributor to the Overall Inflation

The following commodity groups were the top 3 contributors to the December 2024 overall inflation for the bottom 30% income households:
    a. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, 77.5% share or 0.77 percentage points
    b. Restaurant and Accommodation Services, 21.1% share or 0.21 percentage points
    c. Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages, 5.2% or 0.05 percentage points

Food Inflation

Food inflation for the bottom 30% income households at the provincial level moved at a slower pace of 0.3 percent in December 2024 from 3.1 percent in the previous month. In December 2023, its annual increase was observed at 10.0 percent.

Main Drivers to Downward Trend of Food Inflation

The downtrend in food inflation was mainly due to slower annual increase of cereals and cereal products with 7.6 percent in December 2024 from 12.7 percent in the previous month.

Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

Among the commodity groups, the main contributors to the food inflation during December 2024 were the following:
a. Cereal and cereal products, which include rice, corn, flour, bread and bakery products, pasta products and other cereals, 7.6% (0.88 percentage points)
b. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 5.4% (0.14 percentage points)
 

Table 2. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates for the Bottom 30% Income Households in Romblon, All Items: January 2019 to December 2024, in percent. (2018=100)

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Retail Price Survey of Commodities

(SGD) JOHNNY F. SOLIS  
Chief Statistical Specialist