Table A. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates for Zamboanga Peninsula and Zamboanga City, All Items
In Percent   
(2018=100)

Zamboanga City

Headline inflation in Zamboanga City decelerated further with an inflation rate of 2.3 percent this July 2023 from 3.3 percent in the previous month.  This is the fifth consecutive month of deceleration in the headline inflation and the lowest in the past 
16 months. In July 2022, inflation was higher at 7.0 percent. The year-to-date average inflation rate for January to July 2023 is recorded at 5.0 percent. (Table A and Figure 1).

The continued slowdown on the overall inflation in July 2023 was primarily brought by the annual decline in the heavily-weighted commodity group of Food and Non Alcoholic Beverages with lower inflation rate recorded at 3.6 percent from 5.3 percent in June 2023 and considered the top contributor in the downtrend of inflation for this month. Another driver in the easing of inflation this month was the commodity group Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels with 0.4 percent inflation compared to 1.7 percent inflation in the past month. This was also considered as the second contributor in the downtrend of the overall inflation. The commodity group Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco was the third primary driver in the deceleration of inflation for July 2023 with an inflation rate of 
5.6 percent from 7.2 percent in June 2023. Another source of deceleration was the commodity group Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance with 4.7 percent inflation this month from 5.3 percent in the previous month. The only commodity group which improved but still negative this month was Transport recording  
- 5.3 percent from - 6.0 percent in June 2023.

Meanwhile, the indices of the rest of the commodity groups retained their previous month’s inflation rates: 
a.    Clothing and Footwear, 2.4 percent
b.    Health, 3.5 percent
c.    Information and Communication, 0.4 percent
d.    Recreation, Sport, and Culture, 2.6 percent
e.    Education Services, 6.1 percent
f.    Restaurants and Accommodation Services, 5.8 percent
g.    Financial Services, 0.0 percent
h.    Personal Care, Miscellaneous Goods and Services, 3.1 percent

Table B. Year-on- Year Inflation Rates in Zamboanga City, All Items
In Percent
January 2019 – July 2023
(2018=100)

Table C. Year-On-Year Inflation Rates by Commodity Groups in

 Zamboanga City for all Income Households, 2018=100
 

Food inflation in Zamboanga City slowed down further to 3.8 percent this month from 
5.6 percent reported inflation in July 2023. In July 2022, food inflation was higher at 
9.4 percent.

The primary drivers in the downtrend of food inflation for July 2023 were the lower annual growth in the food indices of Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals recorded at 
- 4.1 percent from 1.5 percent and Fish and other Seafood recorded at - 0.1 percent from 
2.3 percent in June 2023. The third primary driver in the slower food inflation was Sugar, Confectionery and Desserts at 16.0 percent from 23.8 percent in the previous month. Another food index that exhibited lower inflation rate this month was Rice recorded at 
5.5 percent from 6.2 percent in the previous month.

Meanwhile, the other food items also contributed in the deceleration of food inflation in Zamboanga City. 
a.    Milk, Other Dairy Products and Eggs, 4.8 percent
b.    Flour, Bread and Other Bakery Products, Pasta Products and other Cereals, 4.1 percent
c.    Fruits and Nuts, - 0.5 percent 
d.    Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c, 9.4 percent 
e.    Corn, - 0.1 percent 
f.    Cereals, 5.4 percent
g.    Cereals and Cereal Products, 5.0 percent

In contrast, the food items of Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses continued to exhibit an increase in its inflation rate at 17.6 percent from 12.7 percent. Meanwhile, the food items of Oils and Fats remained unchanged in its inflation rate of 
1.1 percent.

Note: CPIs and inflation rates by province and selected city are posted at the PSA website (http://openstat.psa.gov.ph/).

MEWCHUN WS. PAMARAN
Regional Director

MFET/RMABG/mgcn