Bicol's inflation drops to 2.8%, Eastern Visayas hits 1.8%

The inflation rate in Bicol region decreased to 2.8 percent in September from 4.2 percent in August, while Eastern Visayas recorded its lowest inflation rate at 1.8 percent in September, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

Regional Director Cynthia Perdiz attributed the slowdown primarily to lower food and non-alcoholic beverage prices, which saw a decrease from 5.4 percent to 2.4 percent in Bicol, while Eastern Visayas experienced a drop from 5.5 percent to 2.2 percent.

PSA 8 (Eastern Visayas) Director Wilma Perante highlighted that rice prices contributed significantly to this trend with an inflation rate of 7.1 percent in September, down from 17.6 percent in August.

The transport sector also played a role in the overall decline, experiencing a slower price increase of 0.8 percent compared to 2.6 percent in Bicol and 1.8 percent in Eastern Visayas last month.

Among both regions' provinces, Camarines Sur had the highest inflation at 4.6 percent in Bicol, while Leyte province recorded the highest rate at 2.7 percent in Eastern Visayas; Albay saw an inflation rate of 2 percent and Samar posted the lowest rate at 0.9 percent.