The inflation rate in Pangasinan remained at 2.3 percent in March, unchanged from February, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) 1 (Ilocos Region) reported Friday.
PSA-Pangasinan chief statistical specialist Edgar Norberte said the main contributors to inflation were food and non-alcoholic beverages at 3.7 percent (accounting for 63.7 percent of the overall rate), restaurants and accommodation services at 2.7 percent, and housing, utilities, and fuels at 1.1 percent.
Under food and non-alcoholic beverages, prices of other vegetables, fresh or chilled, rose from 17.9 percent in February to 32.2 percent in March. The prices of fish, live, fresh, chilled, or frozen, likewise increased from 7.4 percent to 11.9 percent.
The prices of meat, fresh, chilled, or frozen, meanwhile, dropped from 11 percent to 8.9 percent.
Items like corn, seafood, dairy, fruits, and sugar recorded higher prices while bakery products, processed meats, and ready-made food saw slower price increases. Rice and oils/fats posted negative inflation, dropping by -5.7 percent and -2.4 percent, respectively.
Irene Tactac of the Department of Agriculture said 56.5 percent of rice fields in the province had already been harvested, boosting supply and contributing to lower rice prices.
“We expect more supply this month and lower prices as well,” she said in Filipino.
Other sectors, such as housing, recreation, and culture, saw inflation rise while transport, health, and household goods recorded declines. Petroleum price drops in March helped ease transport costs, according to National Economic and Development Authority 1.
Inflation in alcohol, education, and financial services remained unchanged.
By Hilda Austria(PNA)