MANILA, Philippines — Lalong bumagal ang pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin sa pagtatapos ng Disyembre — ang “pinakamababang inflation rate sa kabuuan ng taong 2023”, ayon sa Philippine Statistics Authority.
Bumaba kasi ito sa 3.9% nitong Disyembre 2023, mas mababa kumpara sa 4.1% nitong Nobyembre at malayong-malayo na rin sa 8.1% noong Disyembre 2022.
“The downtrend in the overall inflation in December 2023 was primarily brought about by the lower year-on-year growth in the index of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 1.5 percent in December 2023 from 2.5 percent in the previous month,” wika ng PSA ngayong Biyernes.
“This was followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages with 5.4 percent inflation during the month from 5.7 percent in November 2023.”
Pasok ang headline inflation noong nakaraang buwan sa 2-4% na target ng gobyerno.
Sa kabila nito, nagpamalas ng mas mataas na taunang pagsipa ang sektor ng transportasyon sa 0.4%.
Pangunahing nag-ambag sa December 2023 overall inflation ang mga sumusunod:
“The Philippines’ annual average inflation rate for 2023 stood at 6.0 percent, which was higher than the 2022 annual average inflation rate of 5.8 percent,” dagdag pa ng PSA.
“Food inflation at the national level eased to 5.5 percent in December 2023 from 5.8 percent in the previous month. In December 2022, food inflation was higher at 10.6 percent.”
Ang pagbagal ng food inflation noong nakar aang buwan ay dulot diumano ng mas mabilis na year-on-year decrease sa presyo ng gulay, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas at pulses sa 9.2%.
Una nang tinaya ng ilang ekonomista mula UK-based think tank Pantheon Macroeconomics na bababa patungong 4% ang inflation rate nitong Disyembre. Matatandaang nasa 3.6 hanggang 4.4% ang projected range ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Una nang sinabi ng Social Weather Stations na bumaba sa 16.9% ang kawalan ng trabaho mula sa 22.8% nitong Hunyo.