The headline inflation of Negros Oriental increased to 4.2 percent in June from 3.6 percent in May, an official of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Monday.
The average inflation rate in the province from January to June was 4.6 percent, still lower than that of the June 2023 inflation at 6.9 percent, Ariel Fortuito, Chief Statistical Analyst and PSA-Negros Oriental, said during a forum.
The increase was triggered by food and non-alcoholic beverages, Fortuito said.
“The upward trend in the overall inflation in June 2024 was primarily brought about by food and non-alcoholic beverages at 6.4 percent from 5.3 percent in the previous month,” he said, citing the agency’s summary inflation report.
This was followed by housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 4.4 percent from 3.0 percent.
Transport ranked third at 2.3 percent from 2.2 percent in the previous month.
He added that the recent El Niño-triggered drought had contributed to the rise in prices of commodities, especially food. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
