Table A. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates, 
for the Bottom 30% Income Household, All Items
In Percent
(2018=100)

   Zamboanga City

1.    Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households

The Zamboanga City’s inflation rate for the bottom 30% income bracket further decelerated to 3.3 percent in September 2024, showing continued decline from 6.0 percent in August 2024. Furthermore, the city’s average inflation from January to September 2024 stood at 5.1 percent. (Table A and Figure 1)

1.1    Main Drivers to the Downtrend of the Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30%
Income Households

The decrease in the inflation rate in September 2024 for the bottom 30% income households in Zamboanga City was mainly driven by the slower annual increase in the Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages index, which eased to 1.4 percent from 5.5 percent in the previous month. Furthermore, the decline in prices within the categories of Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, which posted 11.1 percent from 12.0 percent, and in Transport at 1.9 percent from 2.7 percent, also contributed to the downtrend in the inflation rate for the bottom 30% income households in the city.

In addition, lower increments were also recorded in the following commodity groups:
a.    Recreation, Sport and Culture with 5.0 percent from 5.2 percent inflation;
b.    Education Services also eased to 6.1 percent from 14.3 percent; and,
c.    Personal Care, Miscellaneous Goods and Services index at 2.6 from 2.7 percent in the previous month.

In comparison, there were notable increases in the annual growth rates within the following indices:
a.    Clothing and Footwear, which posted 1.4 percent from 1.3 percent;
b.    Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance with
6.6 percent from 5.5 percent; 
c.    Health, 4.5 percent from 3.6 percent; and,
d.    Restaurants and Accommodation Services, 3.5 percent from 3.2 percent inflation in August 2024.

Meanwhile, the annual rates for the rest of the commodity groups in Zamboanga City remained consistent with those recorded in the previous month. (Table C)

1.2    Main Contributors to the Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households

The top three (3) commodity groups contributing to the September 2024 inflation rate for the bottom 30% were the following:
a)    Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels with 55.3 percent share or
1.8 percentage points;
b)    Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages, contributing 24.4 percent share or 0.8 percentage points; and,
c)    Restaurants and Accommodation Services, contributing 4.9 percent share or 0.2 percentage point.

Table B. Year-on-year Inflation Rates for the Bottom 30% Income Households 
in Zamboanga City, All items in Percent
January 2020- September 2024
(2018=100)

Table C. Inflation Rate by Commodity Group for the Bottom 30% Income Households in
ZAMBOANGA CITY 2018=100

2.  Food Inflation

The monthly Food inflation for the bottom 30% Income Households in Zamboanga City decelerated to 1.6 percent in September 2024 from 6.0 percent in August 2024. This was comparatively lower than the recorded Food inflation in September 2023, which stood at 10.3 percent.

2.1 Main Drivers to the Downtrend of Food Inflation

The deceleration of Food inflation in September 2024 was primarily driven by a lower year-on-year increase in Cereals and Cereal Products index which stood at 1.6 percent from 11.2 percent in the previous month. Furthermore, the decrease of prices within the categories of Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses (ND), and Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c. (ND) also contributed to the downtrend which posted (4.5) percent from 6.5 percent, and 7.7 percent from 11.8 percent, respectively.

Contrarily, higher increments were observed in the following food commodity groups:
a.    Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (ND), 3.7 percent from 3.3 percent;
b.    Fish and other seafood (ND) at 0.5 from (0.7) percent;
c.    Milk, other dairy products and eggs (ND), which posted 2.4 percent from 0.4 percent; and,
d.    Sugar, confectionery and desserts (ND), (5.2) percent from (6.1) percent inflation.

Meanwhile, the annual rates for the food index of Oils and Fats retained at (0.1) percent inflation in September 2024.

2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

Food inflation contributed 23.5 percent share or 0.8 percentage points to the overall inflation for the Bottom 30% Income Households in Zamboanga City. Moreover, the top three (3) Food groups contributing to the September 2024 food inflation were the following:

a)    Cereals and cereal products, contributing 42.4 percent share or 0.7 percentage point;
b)    Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (ND) with 20.3 percent share or 0.3 percentage points; and,
c)    Fruits and nuts (ND), contributing 34.8 percent share or 0.6 percentage point.
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Note: CPIs and inflation rates for the bottom 30% income households by region and by province and selected city are posted at the PSA website (http://openstat.psa.gov.ph/).

MEWCHUN WS. PAMARAN
Regional Director

MFET/kxbl