Category: Business Mirror

The recent floods and earthquakes that battered the country should not be seen as natural disasters only-they are wake-up calls. They remind us, in the most painful way, that no one is spared when systems fail, when complacency takes over, and when accountability is ignored.

In the past, many Filipinos would shrug off problems that didn’t affect or hurt them directly. If a flood only submerged another town, or an earthquake only damaged another province, we turned away and carried on. We didn’t care if there were obvious lapses, omissions, and commissions that made the impact on lives more severe.

The same attitude explains why we tolerate so many violations in our everyday lives-from ukay-ukay stalls selling smuggled goods, to tricycles clogging main highways, to government agencies bending the rules.

The smuggling and sale of used clothes slowly killed our textile and garment industries. From having about 1.5 million spindles that could hire 35 people on a 24-hour basis decades ago, we now only have about 100,000 spindles in the country. Ukay-ukays are still everywhere: in the malls, garages, subdivision garages, and public markets. Most people don’t care because they are not directly affected.

Government red tape persists despite constant efforts by the administration to curb it. Yes, many are affected, but not everyone, so most of us just let it slide. These acts may seem minor or unrelated, but collectively, they represent a national culture of looking the other way-of tolerating what is clearly wrong because it doesn’t hurt us yet. But today, as we wade through floodwaters and brace for tremors, we see the consequences of that indifference.

Take, for instance, the recent revelations involving a state-owned bank that allegedly allowed a contractor to withdraw as much as P480 million in cash as payments for DPWH projects. Having been in the banking sector myself, I can say with certainty that this is not just bad policy-it’s a dangerous precedent. It erodes trust and exposes how impunity can thrive even in institutions meant to uphold financial integrity. This should also be investigated.

We have seen how disregard for the law and its long-term consequences led to substandard infrastructure-ghost projects, weak flood controls, and poorly built roads and bridges. Now, we are all paying the price. When a retaining wall collapses or a river overflows, it doesn’t ask who you voted for, or what your income is. It simply destroys everything in its path.

I am reminded of the 1980s, when then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. deployed secret marshals to fight rising crime in buses and public transport. Many protested the measure, arguing it was excessive or invasive. But those who had been victims of theft or violence knew why such steps were necessary. Sometimes, decisive -even unpopular-action is needed to restore order and discipline.

Today, we face a similar challenge. To rebuild our cities, protect our environment, and ensure honest governance, we must first restore accountability and end our culture of apathy. Every citizen, every official, every business must recognize their role in this effort.

Because in truth, the floods and earthquakes are not just natural phenomena. They are mirrors reflecting the cracks in our systems and in our collective conscience.

Let these calamities serve as a wake-up call-that unless we work together, enforce our laws, and care beyond our own interests, we will keep rebuilding from the ruins we ourselves allowed to happen.

We commend Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Aldeguer-Roque for her quick response to our letter bringing to her attention the online sale of unverified automotive batteries, including the one branded ‘GR Lithium Batteries.’

These imported batteries do not bear the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) mark, a clear violation of the law, and could present hazards to our motorists. We don’t know if these batteries have passed the government’s quality standard tests, yet they are being marketed with lofty promises and wild claims.

The office of Secretary Roque announced in the media that the DTI will investigate the sellers of these batteries and coordinate closely with the Federation of Philippine Industries.

TWO-TIME Olympian and Asia’s top pole vaulter EJ Obiena is locked in on defending his Southeast Asian Games title for the fourth time at the 33rd edition of the biennial meet.

With no competitions lined up before the SEA Games set for December 9 to 20 in Bangkok, Thailand, the 29-year-old Asian champion is dedicating his time to conditioning and training.

‘My last meet was in September in Makati. The next is the SEA Games. There’s no time to relax,’ Obiena told BusinessMirror.

He’s keeping a close eye on Thai rival Patsapong Amsamarng, who cleared 5.67 meters for bronze at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea.

‘He’ll be competing at home, so I have to be ready. But the good thing is, I’m healthy-no pain, everything’s on track,’ Obiena said.

Obiena, who matched his season-best 5.80 meters at the Atletang Ayala meet in Makati, has since returned to Formia, Italy to continue intensive training under coach Vitaly Petrov.

Obiena is one of the country’s top gold medal bets, having won SEA Games gold in 2019 (Philippines), 2022 (Hanoi), and 2023 (Cambodia).

Implementing the right policies is a necessary condition to effect the changes that will allow the Philippines to achieve its climate goals. This has been aptly demonstrated by the statistics on the country’s forest cover based on the latest report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Philippines (FAO). The report titled ‘Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025′ indicated that the country’s forest cover expanded by 212,241 hectares in 2020.

The report noted that the president of the Philippines issued directives that allowed agencies to protect the remaining forest resources of the country in February 2011. The FAO report cited Executive Order 23, which declared a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests and created the anti-illegal logging task force. The government also issued EO 26 to implement the National Greening Program and EO 193, which expanded the coverage of the National Greening Program to cover the rehabilitation of all the remaining denuded and degraded forestlands not covered by EO 26 and extended the period of the program up to 2028.

Prior to 2011, the FAO report noted that the Philippine government permitted the harvesting of trees in natural and residual forests. This led to the decrease in the country’s forest cover from 1990 to 2010. Data provided in the report indicated that the Philippines’ forest cover in 1990 reached nearly 7.78 million hectares, which shrank to 6.839 million hectares in 2010.

These policies, the report noted, allowed the Philippines to increase its forest cover to 7.226 million hectares in 2020 from 7.014 hectares in 2015. This development bodes well not only for biodiversity and regulating climate, but it is also beneficial for the agriculture sector. According to the UNDP, healthy forests play a crucial role in maintaining soil fertility, regulating water cycles and supporting biodiversity-all of which are essential for productive agriculture.

In Ecuador, for instance, UNDP said a partnership between the government, a private company and local coffee farmers highlights the vital connection between coffee cultivation and forest conservation. Coffee, one of the world’s most beloved beverages, is heavily dependent on healthy ecosystems, with forests playing a critical role in maintaining the climate conditions necessary for high-quality coffee production. The deforestation-free coffee partnership between Ecuador and Lavazza encourages farmers to grow coffee while preserving the surrounding Amazonian forests.

The Philippines has shown the world that it can implement the necessary policies to reverse years of abuse suffered by the country’s forests. While it would take a while to expand the forest cover to a level last seen in the 1990s, the Philippines has exhibited the willingness to make tough decisions for the protection of the environment. These forests, especially in rural areas, also serve as the first line of defense against flooding so it makes sense to invest in initiatives that will increase the number of trees in the Philippines instead of allotting funds for substandard flood control projects.

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) is currently inspecting all tourism road projects that have been constructed in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco told reporters that she has instructed regional directors to conduct a due diligence on some 883 kilometers of tourism roads that had been completed by the DPWH from 2022 to 2024. This had been suggested by Senator Loren Legarda during the DOT’s budget presentation at the Senate in September.

‘I’m personally aware of many tourism roads that have been constructed because I have been to these destinations. But the due diligence has not yet been fully completed across all the regions. It’s ongoing at the moment,’ she said.

Asked if she had given the regional directors a deadline to submit their reports, Frasco said, ‘As soon as possible. My personal advocacy and pitch has been to improve tourism infrastructure. It’s not my mandate, but it is absolutely necessary for tourism to succeed. So the more that we can see that the budget is being devoted the right way to projects that actually benefit local communities, the more possibility there is of adding [to the] budget, because the fact remains that there’s zero budget for new tourism roads in 2026.’

Budget for new projects?

The DOT chief confirmed that she had already raised the idea of proposing a budget for new tourism roads with newly installed DPWH Secretary Vivencio ‘Vince’ B. Dizon, who has been seen as always supportive of the industry. ‘He didn’t make the [DPWH] budget for 2026, but I did pitch to him. And we’re hopeful that they see how important it is to invest in our destinations, because it really helps our stakeholders to have tourism roads,’ she underscored.

Under the National Expenditure Program for 2026, DPWH’s proposed budget for the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program next year is P3.55 billion, down from this year’s P6.1 billion allocation. (See, ‘Do your own spot checks, tourism roads may be next ghost projects, DOT told,’ in the BusinessMirror, Sept. 27, 2025.)

A number of goverment agencies whose projects had been implemented by the DPWH have already discovered ghost or substandard projects such as farm-to-market roads, in the case of the Department of Agriculture, health centers for the Department of Health, and classrooms for the Department of Education.

Meanwhile, Frasco said the DOT hesitates to further announce new targets for inbound tourists, despite an anticipated increase in arrivals from mainland China, with the rollout the electronic visa (e-visa) scheme for the market starting November. ‘I don’t want to give a number anymore because I don’t control the policy on e-visas,’ she said in a mix of Filipino and English.

6.7M target despite China fix

‘It’s really beyond my control. So it’s hard to assume a mandate that I don’t have. All I can do is to continue to sell the country, to market the country, and to communicate that the e-visa has now resumed, and we’re ready to receive Chinese tourists once again,’ she said.

The DOT has been drawing up a National Tourism Development Plan since 2012, a blueprint of strategies to reach several goals such as visitor arrivals, tourists’ spending, employment, and contribution to local economic output. The agency missed its 7.7-million inbound tourists target last year, however, which Frasco has been blaming on the suspension of the e-visa by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

‘So that has led to a conservatism, which I feel is necessary, a pragmatism that is dictated by the barriers to entry. We’re grateful that the e-visa has been resumed, but its suspension caused wide damage to the country, and we don’t anticipate surges as early as the end of this year,’ she said.

In a Senate budget hearing, Frasco said the agency projects 6.7 million inbound tourists in 2026. The DOT is already working with tourism stakeholders in the Philippines and in China, along with Philippine carriers ‘to rebuild that market.’

USING blockchain to track government spending could pose more problems than solutions, given its complexity and vulnerability to tampering, experts warned.

During the joint hearing of the House Committees on Science and Technology and on Finance, experts and academics raised doubts about embedding a blockchain system under the proposed ‘Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability,’ or ‘Cadena’ (Tagalog word for chain).

Undersecretary David L. Almirol Jr. of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) explained Cadena is being created as ‘a transparency digital portal where people can not only see the budget, but they can see even the movement and the statuses of this budget moving forward.’

Chiming in, Sen. Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ A. Aquino added that Cadena aims to strengthen public trust and fight corruption through transparent records of government spending by way of embedding a blockchain in the management of the national budget.

However, Adolfo Jose A. Montesa of the People’s Budget Coalition (PBC) raised concerns over whether a blockchain system is appropriate for the management of government funds.

‘I feel like some of the aspects here might, de facto, lock us into blockchain. Everything that I’ve heard so far, it seems like blockchain is the only technology that meets these standards right now,’ Montesa said during the hearing.

He added that the blockchain technology might prefer market dynamics and certain vendors over end-users like budget watchdogs and citizens.

But Aquino said lawmakers want to keep ‘it technology neutral because we understand in a year or two years from now, it may not be the gold standard anymore.’

‘Currently, that seems to fit the bill in terms of what we want to see,’ he added.

A blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that records transactions with a network of computers, where each transaction is saved as a block linked to the previous one, and is secured by cryptography.

‘I understand that a number of our watchdogs and a number of our citizens aren’t well-versed in blockchain. Naintindihan ko yan. But it’s not new,’ Aquino said.

According to Gail Concepcion Cruz-Macapagal of the Blockchain Council of the Philippines, this wouldn’t be the first time the technology has been used in the country. Macapagal said that up to 145 companies use blockchain technology.

She cited a local startup that created a digital-signature technology using blockchain. The startup’s technology, which was partly-funded by the Department of Science and Technology, was branded as ‘safe and legally binding.’

Macapagal noted that the startup’s digital-signature technology saves cost by cutting the signing cycle from up to two weeks to just 40 minutes.

Expanded coverage

CURRENTLY, documents covered by the bill include disbursement data like agency financial statements, fund release documents, audit reports, and more. Some experts, however, proposed expanding the coverage of the bill.

Macapagal is pushing for the bill to add donations given in the aftermath of natural disasters like typhoons.

‘I saw with my personal eyes na may mga donations na binawi after mag-picture taking, so I want to know kung saan ‘yun manggagaling, saan mapupunta, at sino ang tumatanggap,’ she said during the hearing.

Montesa also pushed for the inclusion of ‘ayuda’ lists, which then raised concerns regarding the data privacy of recipients.

But BCP’s Mark S. Gorriceta said that the reference of the Data Privacy Act could be misused to hide project beneficiaries, supplier names, or fund flows.

‘I’d like to reinforce the principle that public money is public data, and let’s limit exceptions strictly to national security,’ Gorriceta, who is also a lawyer, added.

His view was supported by Sen. Aquino, who said that because government is ‘spending hundreds of billions in our dole-out programs; mahalaga na makita nati na totoong tao talaga at totoong nangangailangan ang pinagbibigyan ng ayuda ng gobyerno.’

The proposed policy covers all public-private partnerships and foreign-assisted projects using public funds and extends to all national government agencies and government-owned and state-controlled corporations.

Additionally, the bill also encourages local government units to adopt the framework voluntarily.

De-centralization

AQUINO further explained that by using a decentralized system like blockchain, public financial records could be more resistant from tampering.

The solon added that to further emphasize decentralization, he also plans to hand control of the blockchain nodes not just to the government, but to private and media organizations, schools, and even budget watchdogs like the PBC.

Goricetta pushed the idea further by proposing data embassies, which are data nodes hosted off-shore but still under Philippine control that can be used for data backup and other critical services.

Edmundo ‘Toti’ G. Casiño of the Philippine Computer Society proposed establishing the data embassy in Iceland to manage the temperature and water resources needed for maintenance.

How much this would cost taxpayers, Casiño didn’t mention.

THE government will allow trade partners to maintain exports of hogs and pork products to the Philippines amid outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) under a regionalization scheme.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Administrative Circular (AC) 12, which outlined the requirements for accredited countries that wish to secure bilateral recognition of areas free of the deadly hog disease.

‘The regionalization agreement shall apply to administrative region located outside the restricted regions that have been declared free from ASF by the veterinary authority of the exporting country, and whose status is duly recognized by the Bureau of Animal Industry [BAI],’ the AC 12 read.

Under this agreement, the Philippines will restrict shipments of hogs and their products only from certain areas with confirmed ASF cases instead of imposing a country-wide ban.

Such a move was aimed at cushioning the impact of import bans on the country’s trade and food security, while safeguarding the domestic swine industry.

‘This circular will serve as guidance and requirements governing the importation of swine and swine products, while protecting the Philippines from further spread of ASF.’

Furthermore, the DA said exporting countries that secured a regionalization agreement with the Philippines should submit an annual report to the BAI regarding their respective ASF situation, including surveillance, monitoring, and control measures.

‘This report ensures that the BAI is informed of the ASF status and any developments that may necessitate modifications to the established bilateral ASF regionalization agreement with the Philippines.’

The regionalization agreement will be valid for two years, according to the agency. Once it has lapsed, countries should submit a new application.

The Philippines continues to grapple with the lingering effects of ASF, which slashed hog inventory and crimped pork output since it struck local farms in 2019.

Tight supply then jacked up retail prices of pork to a high of P400 per kilo, which prompted the government to issue a raft of interventions in its bid to ease prices of the protein source.

Such measures included the imposition of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork and its ongoing swine repopulation program.

While retail quotations for pork remain high, growers lamented the drop in farmgate price of hogs.

As such, the DA and local producers recently agreed to set a minimum farmgate price for live hogs at P210 per kilo as the liveweight price plunged to the break-even point. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2025/11/05/da-producers-set-farmgate-price-of-live-hogs-at-%E2%82%B1210-kilo/)

Producers raised a caveat that farmgate prices had plummeted between P150 and P180 per kilo, which they said was barely enough to cover production costs for backyard and commercial raisers.

They would also recommend reinstating the tariffs levied on pork to 40 percent from the current 25 percent, citing cheaper foreign shipments as among the rationales behind the swine industry’s predicament.

‘Lower import duties have encouraged over-importation,’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. ‘This has flooded the market, squeezed local producers, and endangered both our food security and farmers’ livelihoods.’

SENATOR Sherwin T. Gatchalian is taking a stand against unnecessary financial burden on power consumers by filing a bill that seeks to abolish the collection of bill deposits by distribution utilities (DUs) and electric cooperatives (ECs).

Senate Bill (SB) 1470, or the Anti-Bill Deposit Act, also mandates the immediate refund of existing bill deposits and accrued interest. A bill deposit is a security deposit required from customers to guarantee payment of future electricity bills.

‘Sa ganitong paraan, masisiguro nating pantay-pantay at abot-kaya ang access ng lahat sa kuryente nang hindi na kailangang magbayad ng deposito,’ Gatchalian said.

The proposed measure also mandates the Energy Regulatory Commission to conduct an independent audit of all bill-deposit accounts and to prescribe non-deposit-based credit-risk alternatives, such as prepaid or pay-as-go metering systems, installment or staggered payment arrangements, and voluntary credit insurance or guarantee schemes.

Under the proposed measure, DUs and ECs should refund all existing bill deposits, together with accrued interest up to the date of the actual release. Refunds shall be released in cash, check, or electronic transfer, unless consumers choose to apply them to future bills.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it may be forced to hold manual polls in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) if the parliament fails to pass its redistricting law by November 30.

‘I’ll be very honest. This is not to pressure the Bangsamoro or preempt the Supreme Court. Based on our study, if the law is passed beyond November 30, it may no longer be possible to hold elections by March 31. November 30 is already the absolute limit,’ Comelec Chair George Erwin M. Garcia said in an interview.

‘But of course, as long as there is a law, the Comelec will find a way. Even to the extent that if we need to conduct a manual election, why not,’ he added. ‘But at this point, the election in the Bangsamoro will be automated. That [manual voting] is only the worst-case scenario.’

Garcia said the commission continues to prepare for the first parliamentary elections in the region but warned that delays in the passage of the redistricting law could again hamper preparations.

‘Of course, we are also worried about that. The preparations for the elections might again be disrupted if the new law in BARMM is not passed,’ he said.

The Comelec chief stressed that the poll body has the authority to act should the timeline be missed.

‘There are ways the Comelec can find just to proceed with an election. Everything must be done to comply with the election date-either invoke a postponement of the election or resort to another system of election, such as a manual one,’ he said.

Garcia said he recently spoke with interim Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, who told him that the proposed redistricting measures are still on second reading and must still be consolidated before passage.

Garcia said the Comelec remains hopeful that the Bangsamoro parliament can still meet the deadline.

‘We believe in the capability of the Bangsamoro parliament. The Comelec also constantly reminds them to keep us informed.We believe that because of the pressure and the [Supreme Court’s] decision, the Parliament is aware that time is of the essence,’ he said.

To recall, the Court voided Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 77, or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025, and BAA No. 58, or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act of 2024, saying both violated the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

With no valid enabling law, the Comelec had no legal basis to push through with the parliamentary elections this year.

Instead, the Court directed the Comelec to continue with its preparations and conduct the BARMM parliamentary elections not later than March 31, 2026, in compliance with Section 5 of the Voter’s Registration Act, which provides for the establishment of precincts.

It also ordered the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to immediately undertake, not later than October 30, 2025, the determination of parliamentary districts for the first regular election of parliament members, in accordance with the BOL.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) and local producers agreed to set a minimum farmgate price for live hogs at P210 per kilo as the liveweight price plunged to the break-even point.

This, after local producers warned that farmgate prices had plummeted between P150 and P180 per kilo, which they said was barely enough to cover production costs for backyard and commercial raisers.

Industry groups included in the discussion were Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NatFed), and the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (ProPork).

‘Farmgate prices have fallen sharply, yet consumers haven’t felt any relief,’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. ‘During my market visits, I’ve seen liempo still selling for around P400 a kilo.’

The government and industry groups would also recommend reinstating the tariffs levied on pork to 40 percent from the current 25 percent, citing cheaper foreign shipments as among the rationales behind the swine industry’s predicament.

‘Lower import duties have encouraged over-importation,’ Tiu Laurel said. ‘This has flooded the market, squeezed local producers, and endangered both our food security and farmers’ livelihoods.’

He added that the DA would also issue an order to reclassify pork jowls, currently treated as offal, so that they can be levied a higher tariff. Jowls, a cut popular in Korean barbecue, have gained increasing demand from meat processors.

Furthermore, the agency was mulling over restoring a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork.

The level would be determined ‘carefully’ to balance profitability across the supply chain and consumer protection, the DA added.

With this, Tiu Laurel ordered the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) to intensify monitoring to ensure transparency and fair trade.

He said supermarkets should clearly label frozen meat products and avoid misrepresenting them as fresh, while retailers selling frozen items must maintain proper chillers and freezers.

‘These measures are intended to stabilize prices, protect local producers, and safeguard consumers amid persistent volatility in the pork market.’

The prevailing retail price of pork ham in Metro Manila markets stood at P360 per kilo, while pork belly is being sold at P400 per kilo, based on the latest government price monitoring report.

THE country’s inflation held its ground in October, unchanged at 1.7 percent from September, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The figure was lower than the 2.3 percent inflation recorded in the same month last year, bringing the year-to-date average from January to October to 1.7 percent.

According to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, the stable inflation reflected the effectiveness of government measures in tempering supply pressures and maintaining price stability.

‘The steady headline inflation rate shows that our coordinated interventions are helping to maintain adequate supplies and keeping essential goods affordable,’ he said in a statement.

‘We remain vigilant in managing risks from weather disturbances, global market volatility, and other domestic factors that may affect prices in the coming months.’

Earlier, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas projected October inflation to fall within the 1.4 to 2.2 percent range.

Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels continued to be the main driver of inflation, with a 2.7-percent increase and a 34.6 percent share in the overall index.

Meanwhile, restaurants and accommodation services followed with a 14.6-percent share (0.2 percentage point contribution), while food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 13.0 percent (0.2 percentage point).

Faster price increases were recorded in four commodity groups during the month: Clothing and footwear (1.8 percent from 1.7 percent), housing and utilities (2.7 percent from 2.1 percent), information and communication (0.7 percent from 0.6 percent) and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services (2.5 percent from 2.4 percent).

On the contrary, slower inflation was observed in food and non-alcoholic beverages (0.5 percent from 1.0 percent), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (4.0 percent from 4.1 percent), health (2.7 percent from 2.8 percent), transport (0.9 percent from 1.0 percent), and recreation, sport, and culture (1.9 percent from 2.1 percent).

The PSA identified five key commodities that largely shaped October’s inflation: other pelagic fish (11.7 percent, contributing 0.4 percentage point), rentals (2.6 percent, 0.3 percentage point), pork (9.8 percent, 0.3 percentage point), restaurants and cafes (2.5 percent, 0.3 percentage point) and electricity (4.1 percent, 0.2 percentage point).

Meanwhile, food inflation continued to ease nationwide at only 0.3 percent in October from 0.8 percent in September. In October 2024, food inflation stood at a much higher 3 percent.

Core inflation also slowed slightly to 2.5 percent from 2.6 percent in the previous month.

By region, inflation in the National Capital Region (NCR) quickened to 2.9 percent from 2.7 percent in September, while areas outside NCR saw inflation ease to 1.3 percent from 1.5 percent.

Central Visayas posted the highest regional inflation at 2.6 percent, while the Bangsamoro region recorded the lowest, with deflation at -1.3 percent.

Inflation among the country’s poorest households stood at 0.4 percent in October, rebounding from -0.2 percent in September but sharply lower than the 3.4 percent recorded in the same month a year earlier.