IN THESE times, when we all experience the difficulties to cope up with rising prices, here is a bit of good news.
Do you know that Central Luzon has the lowest inflation rate among all regions? In the Central Luzon region, the City of San Fernando has the lowest inflation rate. In short, San Fernando has the lowest inflation rate in the entire country.
The Bicol Region has the highest inflation rate at 9%. To better illustrate, the buying power of peso becomes lower. Inflation has diminished the purchasing power of our money. If your income is P400.00 a day, the purchasing power is lessened by at least P40.00 or your equivalent of P360.00. Multiply the decreased P40.00 with 30 days, you get a painful reduction of buying power by P1,200.00 a month. Ouch!
We take consolation that in the Asian region, Myanmar is ahead of us in inflation rate. Thanks but no thanks, since we are second. To think that Myanmar is almost on the verge of collapse worsened by the Rohingya refugees, our second rank is hardly a consolation.
Here is the complete list of inflation rates in Southeast Asia:
Myanmar - 7.57%
Philippines - 6.4%
Vietnam - 3.98%
Indonesia - 3.2%
Cambodia - 2.9%
Laos - 1.97%
Thailand - 1.62%
Malaysia - 0.9%
Singapore - 0.2%
Brunei - 0.2%
Within the Philippines, the ranking is as follows:
Bicol - 9%
Autonomous Region in Muslim - 8.1%
Mindanao
Soccskargen - 7.9%
Western Visayas - 7.4%
Cagayan Valley - 7.1%
Davao Region - 7.1%
National Capital Region - 7%
Ilocos Region - 6.8%
Zamboanga Peninsula - 6.4%
Central Visayas - 6.3%
Eastern Visayas - 6.1%
Northern Mindanao - 6.1%
Calabarzon - 6.1%
Caraga - 4.8%
Mimaropa - 4.5%
Cordillera Administrative Region - 4.1%
Central Luzon - 3.6%
To experience the pain of inflation, go to the public market. The price of vegetables has almost doubled. A kilo of sili is tagged at an unbelievable P1,000.00. Incidentally, sili can be easily planted in pots right in our garden. Onions and garlic are sky high. Even the lowly kangkong is available at fifty pesos “per tali”.
Seafood prices are astronomical. They are beyond the reach of Juan. Bangus fetches P200 per kilo. The only remaining items that are within reach are tilapia and hito. Shrimps is priced P500 per kilo. Crab is P700 to P1,000 per kilo. The vanishing “talangka” is P500 per kilo, where you are not allowed to “pick female only”. Forget about lapu-lapu. They are not affordable.
Why? The law of supply and demand cannot be repealed. There is scarcity of supply. There is demand for food. Even rice has skyrocketed. You cannot see any kilo of rice that is priced below P47.00. The NFA rice is not available. I have been on the look-out for more than 2 months now. I received the standard answer: No stock.
I am sorry that I cannot accept the way Sec. Harry Roque dismisses the rising prices are – “Sus, wala yan.”
Food is almost everything to our people. We cannot say it is nothing. It is definitely something.