Negros Oriental’s annual average inflation picks up in 2021. The annual average CPI in 2021 was recorded at 126.7. The provincial annual average inflation accelerated by 3.3 percent in 2021 from 1.7 percent in 2020.
Higher annual average rates compared in 2020 were observed in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; furnishings household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; transport; education; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services. On the opposite, recreation and culture posted a negative annual average growth in 2021 while communication remains steady.
The highest annual average inflation during the year was registered in November at 4.1 percent while the lowest was in January at 2.1 percent. (Figure 1).
This year’s annual average inflation of food and non-alcoholic beverages index in Negros Oriental further increased to 4.1 percent in 2021 from 1.4 percent in 2020. Higher annual average rates in food and non-alcoholic beverages index were posted in bread and cereals; other cereals, flour, cereal preparation, bread, pasta and other bakery products; meat; fish; milk, cheese and eggs; oils and fats; fruit; vegetables; sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery; food products not elsewhere classified; with corn exhibiting the highest growth of 9.9 percent. Meanwhile, rice recorded lowest rate of -0.5 percent.
From negative annual average rates in 2020, the index of breads and cereals in 2021 inched up by 2.0 percent, and in corn by 9.9 percent. Meat and sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery also recovered by 6.6 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively. (Figure 2).
Price adjustments in alcoholic beverages and tobacco further moved during the year. Thus, the annual average inflation of alcoholic beverages and tobacco index in 2021 was 2.0 percent. Annual average inflation of alcoholic beverages was at 2.3 percent while tobacco has 1.7 percent increase. (Figure 3).
The annual average movement of clothing and footwear index in the province slowly grew by 0.2 percent in 2021. This was borught about by the steady annual average prices of clothing while footwear has 0.4 percent annual average inflation rate. (Figure 4).
Prices of water supply and miscellaneous services relating to the dweling went up by 9.5 percent during the year. Rates on actual rentals for housing also picked up by 5.0 percent in 2021. These factors pushed up the annual average growth in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index in the province by 4.9 percent in 2021 from an annual increase of 0.3 percent in 2020. Compared with 2020 rates, electricity, gas and other fuels; and maintenance and repair of the dwelling posted higher annual average growths by4.3 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively. (Figure5).
The annual average increase in the index of furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house was higher at 4.0 percent. This was due to the higher prices in goods and services for routine household maintenance by 4.5 percent. Higher prices on glassware, tableware and household utensils by 0.9 percent also contributed to the uptrend. The lowest annual average growth of 0.1 percent was posted in household textiles. Furniture and furnishings, carpets and other floor coverings; and tools and equipment for house and garden also had a slow growth of 0.7 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively. (Figure 6).
With upward adjustments in the prices of medical products, appliances and equipment by 1.8 percent; and out-patient services by 1.6 percent, the health index in the province moved upward by 1.3 percent. Rates for hospital services remain steady. (Figure 7).
Increments in the prices of operation of personal transport equipment by 10.2 percent and higher transport services by 1.0 percent raised the annual average rate of transportation index by 3.8 percent. (Figure 8).
The communication index in Negros Oriental registered a stable rate from 2020 to 2021. Rate of postal services, telephone and telefax equipment, and telephone and telefax services remain the same.
The average inflation in recreation and culture index in the province dropped by -0.7 percent. On the annual basis, the biggest drop was noticed in the prices of recreational and cultural services by -7.0 percent. Other recreational items and equipment, gardens and pets; and newspapers, books and stationery both showed a very minimal increase of 0.1 percent. Rate of audio-visual, photographic and information processing equipment remain the same. (Figure 9).
The annual average inflation of education index grew by 1.1 percent. Price hikes inflation in the tertiary education was up by 2.3 percent while pre-primary and primary education was at 0.8 percent. Average annual inflation in secondary education remains stable. (Figure 10).
The annual average inflation of restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services index upsticks at 1.0 perecent in 2021 from 0.7 percent in 2020. Personal care was priced higher by 1.5 percent while annual average inflation in catering services was at 0.9 percent. (Figure 11).
Noted by:
(SGD) ARIEL T. FORTUITO
Chief Statistical Specialist
