A recent survey reveals that rice prices have soared, impacting Filipinos most severely. Public dissatisfaction with the government's inflation control measures is high, despite a stable inflation rate.
Rice experienced the most significant price increase among food items commonly purchased by Filipinos in the last quarter of 2024, according to the latest survey conducted by a research firm. The Social Weather Stations (SWS), in collaboration with the Stratbase Group, revealed that 59 percent of Filipinos reported rice as having the highest price surge compared to other food items they bought from October to December 2024.
The survey indicated that 25 percent of respondents identified meat, including chicken, pork, and beef, as having the most notable price increase, followed by 11 percent who cited vegetables and 4 percent who pointed to seafood.The survey also sheds light on public perception regarding the government's efforts to control inflation. A substantial 58 percent of Filipinos deemed the solutions implemented by the Marcos Jr. administration as insufficient in addressing inflation. Conversely, 16 percent believed the government's inflation-control measures were sufficient, while 19 percent expressed a neutral stance, stating that the solutions were neither sufficient nor insufficient. The SWS survey highlighted a concerning trend in Mindanao, where 65 percent of respondents reported dissatisfaction with the government's inflation-control strategies. NCR followed closely behind with 60 percent expressing similar sentiments.Despite the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announcing a stable inflation rate of 2.9 percent in January, aligning with December 2024 levels, the survey results paint a contrasting picture of the Filipino people's experiences. The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) views the steady inflation rate as a positive indicator of the government's commitment to maintaining price stability within its targets. However, Stratbase Institute President Dindo Manhit emphasized that the survey results reveal a different reality for Filipinos. He urged the government to take heed of the public's dissatisfaction, stating, 'Having a majority of the Filipino people say this month that the government's inflation control solutions are insufficient should be a wake-up call to our leaders. These numbers are the reason why the public's trust toward the government is continuously declining.' Manhit stressed the urgency for the Marcos administration to intensify its efforts to ensure tangible benefits from its anti-inflation strategies reach the Filipino people. According to the latest government price monitoring report, imported rice is currently priced at P45 per kilo for well-milled and P42 per kilo for regular milled rice. Local rice is priced at P46 per kilo for well-milled and P41 per kilo for regular milled rice.
INFLATION RICE PRICES PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT RESPONSE SOCIAL WEATHER STATIONS (SWS) MARCOS JR. ADMINISTRATION PUBLIC DISSATISFACTION
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