Aurora’s annual inflation dropped to 0.2 percent in September 2024 which was 1.2 percent point lower from 1.4 percent in August 2024 and 5.8 percentage points lower from 6.0 percent in September 2023. (Refer to Figure 1)

Across regions, Western Visayas has the highest inflation rate recorded at 3.4 percent in September 2024, followed by Davao Region at 2.8 percent. Meanwhile, Ilocos Region still has the lowest inflation rate at 0.6 percent.

The headline inflation in the country decreased from 3.3 percent in August 2024 to 1.9 percent in September 2024.

Figure 2 presents the annual inflation rates of the different regions in the Philippines in September 2024.

In Aurora, the decrease in inflation could be mainly attributed to the lower increment posted by the index of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages at -2.0 percent from 1.6 percent in August 2024. This was followed by the index of Transport at -5.8 percent.

Listed below are the indices that recorded lower monthly increments:

•    Clothing and Footwear (1.4% from 3.0%); 
•    Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (0.9% from 1.1%); and
•    Education Services (22.9% from 23.3%).

On the other hand, higher monthly increments were recorded in the following indices:

•    Health (13.8% from 1.3%); 
•    Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels (4.2% from 1.7%);
•    Recreation, Sport and Culture (5.4% from 3.9%); 
•    Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (-0.1% from -0.7%); and
•    Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (2.4% from 2.3%).

Lastly, the following indices showed same rate from that of the previous month:

•    Information and Communication (0.1%); and 
•    Restaurants and Accommodation Services (1.1%);
•    Financial Services (0.0%). (Table 1)

The annual growth rate in the provincial food index posted a decrease in rate at 3.9 percentage points from 1.7 percent in August 2024 to -2.2 percent in September 2024. This trend was attributed by the lower monthly increments of the index of Rice at -6.5 percent in September 2024 from 9.7 percent in August 2024. (Refer to Table 1.a)

Listed below are the following indices that recorded lower annual increments from August 2024 to September 2024:

•    Vegetables, Tubers, Plantains, Cooking Bananas, and Pulses (-23.2% from -10.0%)
•    Corn (25.9% from 26.5%); 
•    Flour, Bread and Other Bakery Products, Pasta Products, and Other Cereals (5.0% from 5.1%).

Meanwhile, higher annual increment was noted only in the following index:

•    Fruits and Nuts (7.8% from -0.8%);
•    Milk, Other Dairy Products, and Eggs (4.0% from 2.1%);
•    Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (4.7% from 3.6%);
•    Oils and Fats (-5.2% from -5.8%);
•    Sugar, Confectionery and Desserts (-6.9% from -7.4%)
•    Fish and other seafood (-0.6% from -0.9%); and
•    Ready-made Food and Other Food Products N.E.C (7.9% from 7.8%).
(Refer to Table 1a)

For September 2024, Olongapo City recorded the highest inflation rate in the region at 4.3 percent followed by Pampanga at 3.6 percent. Angeles City and Tarlac ranked 3rd and 4th at 3.0 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively. This was followed by Nueva Ecija at 1.5 percent and Bulacan at 0.9 percent.

Zambales recorded an inflation rate of 0.7 percent while Bataan recorded an inflation rate of 0.4 percent. Aurora recorded the lowest inflation rate in the region at 0.2 percent from 1.4 percent in August 2024. (Refer to Figure 3)

FERDINAND E. SANTIAGO
(Supervising Statistical Specialist) 
Officer-in-Charge
PSA Aurora