BAGUIO CITY—The consumer price index in the Cordillera region has generally increased, reflecting the rise in the average prices of goods and services in all its provinces, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported.
The consumer price index is the general measure of the change in the average retail prices of a market basket or collection of goods and services commonly purchased by the average Filipino household.
In November 2016, the consumer price index in the Cordillera was at 144.4 which is higher by 3.5 index points as compared to the 140.9 consumer price index in the region in the same month the previous year.
The PSA-CAR added among the provinces in the region, Mountain Province posted the highest consumer price index for November 2016 at 153.9, followed by Ifugao at 150.5 and Benguet at 145.4. On the other hand, Apayao had the lowest consumer price index at 132.2.
In terms of index points change, Kalinga had the highest increase by 8.1 while Apayao and Benguet had the lowest increase by 1.4 and 2.1, respectively.
The PSA-CAR explained among the commodity groups, alcoholic beverages and tobacco recorded the highest consumer price index at 205.9 and Apayao incurred the highest among the Cordillera provinces at 220.2, followed by Kalinga and Abra at 219.3 and 216.5 index points, respectively.
The report claimed education came next at 161.8 index points with Mountain Province incurring the highest index for November 2016 at 233.9 points.
Further, food and non-alcoholic beverages were at 161.1 index points with Benguet experiencing the highest increase at 167.3 followed by Mountain Province at 164.7 index points, respectively.
The PSA-CAR disclosed communication had the lowest consumer price index among the commodity groups in the region with 83.2 index points, with Abra incurring the highest index at 111.4 index points while Apayao had the lowest at 77.9 index points.
The PSA-CAR noted Apayao consistently had the lowest consumer price index for all items with 132.2 and by index point change, alcoholic beverages and tobacco recorded the highest increase, growing up by 15.3 points.
The PSA-CAR also recorded increases in food and non-alcoholic beverages at 6.6 points, clothing, and footwear at 3.9 points, restaurant, miscellaneous goods and services at 2.3 points, among others.
According to the report, the rest of the commodity groups recorded a minimal annual increase in their respective index points.
Meanwhile, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels decreased by 0.3 points and for November 2016, prices of goods and services in the region increased by 2.5 percent.
Kalinga posted the highest inflation rate at 6.0 percent, followed by Ifugao at 4.8 percent, Mountain Province at 2.9 percent, and Abra at 2.6 percent and compared to November 2015, price rates increased in all provinces except for Mountain Province.