La Union’s headline inflation rate accelerated to 2.1 percent in February 2022 from 0.9 percent in the previous month. Inflation in February a year ago was higher at 3.0 percent.

The uptrend in the overall inflation in January 2022 was brought about by the increase in the inflation of the heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages index at -0.1 percent in February 2022, from -2.0 percent inflation in January 2022.

Moreover, annual increments were higher in the indices of the following commodity groups during the month:

• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 4.6 percent;
• Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 6.1 percent;
• Transport, 8.3 percent; and
• Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, 1.3 percent.

On the other hand, slowdowns were observed in the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Clothing and footwear, 0.0 percent;
• Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 1.5 percent; and
• Recreation, Sport and Culture, 4.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the rest of the commodity groups retained their previous month’s inflation rates.

Food inflation in La Union moved up at faster pace of -0.3 percent in February 2022 from -2.2 percent in January 2022. Annual inflation were higher in the indices of cereals and cereal products at 0.7 percent; fish and other seafood at 4.1 percent; milk, other dairy products and eggs at -1.1 percent; oils and fats at 3.2 percent; vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at -12.0 percent; sugar, confectionery and desserts at 4.6 percent; and ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified at -1.0 percent.

On the contrary, inflation for fruits and nuts decelerated to -5.5 percent; and meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals to 0.6 percent during the month.

SGD. DANITES E. TEÑIDO, Ph.D.
Chief Statistical Specialist

/MAQ/KJGH