Bohol’s Oct inflation rises

to 2.9% from Sept’s 1.6%

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Nov 15 (PIA)— Double digit inflation in food, specifically cereals, fruits and nuts, education and alcoholic beverages led the over-all rise in inflation in Bohol to 2.9 in October from 1.6 in September 2024, data monitored by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

Cereals and cereal products which own up to 95.1 percent share of the inflation pulled everything up with its 16.1 percent from 2.6 percent inflation rate in September.

Fruits and nuts also swung upwards with its 19.2 percent in October from 11.2 percent last month. Fresh tropical fruits, dates and figs steered the surge at 20.1 percent from 12.0 percent in September last month.

Education for early childhood and primary education maintained its double digit rate at 22.8 percent bringing and an over-all inflation rate at 11.2 percent.

Eggs along with milk and other dairy products, on the other hand, while the Department of Trade and Industry noted a spike in the prices in September, to 18.2 percent, which continued to roll up at 20.1 in October. Prices of eggs alone swung to 8.9 from 7.9 percent in September.

The inflation rate in October 2024, based on the monitored Consumer Price Index (CPI) as gathered by PSA teams collated from actual inspections in the city markets and towns, also showed that price was even more challenging with 5.0 percent inflation rate in October last year.

On the other hand, for major commodity groups, PSA noted a general rise in food and non-alcoholic beverages at 6.6 percent from 1.7 percent, alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 4.4 percent from 3.0 percent, clothing and footwear at 1.8 percent from 1.6 percent and transport from -3.5 to -2.9 percent.

In Bohol again, restaurants and accommodation services dipped to 1.9 percent from 2.9 percent last month, personal care and miscellaneous goods from 3.0 percent to 2.9 percent, health from 1.9 percent to 0.9 percent, recreation, sports and culture from 3.4 to 1.1 percent, housing, utilities, gas and fuels which registered 2.2 percent in September is now 0.0 percent.

With food inflation now at 7.0 percent after a 6.8 percent rise in October from 1.8 percent rate in September, the inflation rate for Bohol’s bottom 30% income households climbed to 6.0 percent.

This is from 4.2 percent in September 2024.

The rate however is still lower compared to last year’s 7.6 percent inflation rate, which was even lower still compared to the inflation rate in April and May 2023 with a 10.6 percent.

Contributing much to the suffering of the province’s poor are increases in the prices of rice, wood fuel including pellets and briquettes, eggs, fresh tropical fruits, restaurants and cafes with full service, according to the PSA. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)