La Union’s headline inflation rate accelerated to 3.0 percent in March 2022 from 2.1 percent in the previous month. This brings the average inflation from January to March at 2.0 percent. Inflation in March a year ago was lower at 2.7 percent. (Table 1 and Figure 1)

The upward trend in the overall inflation of the province during the month was primarily brought about by faster annual inflation in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 1.2 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, at 6.4 percent; and transport at 13.2 percent.

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

• Clothing and footwear, 0.3 percent;
• Health, 2.3 percent; and
• Recreation, sport and culture, 4.4 percent.

Meanwhile, slowdowns were observed in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 4.2 percent; furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance at 1.4 percent; and personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services at 1.2 percent. The rest of the commodity groups retained their previous month’s inflation rates.

Food inflation in La Union rose to 1.1 percent in March 2022, from -0.3 percent in February 2022. In the same month of the previous year, food inflation was recorded at 3.4 percent.

Annual inflation were higher in the indices of the following food groups:

• Cereals and cereals products, 2.2 percent;
• Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 1.3 percent;
• Oils and fats, 5.0 percent;
• Fruits and nuts, -4.7 percent;
• Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, -3.1 percent;
• Sugar, confectionery and desserts, 8.5 percent; and
• Ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified, 0.5 percent.

On the contrary, inflation for fish and other seafood decelerated to 2.2 percent; and milk, other dairy products and eggs to -1.5 percent during the month.

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

/MAQ/KJGH