Philippines annual inflation quickens to 6.1% in Sept on costlier food, transport

MANILA : Philippine inflation quickened for a second straight month in September due to increases in food and transport costs, the statistics agency said on Thursday.

The consumer price index was up 6.1 per cent in September, above the 5.3 per cent forecast in a Reuters poll, and higher than the previous month’s reading of 5.3 per cent.

That brought year-to-date average inflation to 6.6 per cent, still outside the central bank’s 2 per cent to 4 per cent target for the year.

Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and fuel items, eased to 5.9 per cent from 6.1 per cent in August.