OFFICIAL NEDA 5 WEB PAGE

PROGRAMS/PROJECTS

AGRICULTURE,
SOCIAL SUPPORT
AND ENVIRONMENT
FACILITIES

COUNTRYSIDE
PROGRAMS FOR
CHILDREN (CPC) VI

KAPIT BISIG
LABAN SA
KAHIRAPAN
(KALAHI)

PUBLICATIONS/REPORTS

REGIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
REPORT CY 2007

QUARTERLY REGIONAL ECONOMIC SITUATIONER
1^st QUARTER 2009

ACCOMPLISHMENT
REPORT 2006

BIKOL KNOWLEDGE
EMPORIUM

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Invitation to Bid

Services for the production of Audio Visual Presentation (AVP) on the Updated Medium Term Regional Development Plan (MTPDP) 2008-2010

please download TOR and Price Quotation

NEWS UPDATES

MONTHLY ECONOMIC SITUATIONER

April 2009

PRICE SITUATION

   Annual inflation rate in the Bicol Region dropped by 1.2 percentage points in March after registering higher inflation rates since January. The year-on-year change was placed at 7.4 percent, the lowest in a 12-month period. Compared to the previous period last year, this month's level is 0.7 percentage point higher and 1.0 percentage point faster than the national average. The rate of increase in consumer prices peaked at 13.7 percent in July 2008. The National Capital Region (NCR) registered the lowest inflation at 3.2 percent while Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) posted the highest at 11.8 percent.

   Majority of the commodity groups recorded declines in inflation rate for the month: Food, Beverages and Tobacco (2.1 percentage points), Services (0.8 percentage point) and Clothing (0.3 percentage point). Fuel, Light and Water and Miscellaneous commodity groups climbed by 0.2 percentage point apiece while Housing and Repairs maintained its previous month's level. Declines in inflation rate of most food items included in the region's market basket resulted in a lower inflation level for the food group. The food group, being the biggest component of the region's consumer basket pulled much of the weight causing the overall inflation rate to slow down.

   Average prices of consumer goods showed lower increase in prices as the region's average monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.3 point settling at 159.1. Majority of the commodity groups posted increase in indices: Food, Beverages and Tobacco (0.5 point), Fuel, Light and Water (0.5 point), Miscellaneous (0.4 point), Clothing (0.3 point) and Housing and Repairs (0.1 point). Services commodity group dropped by 0.3 point.

Consumer Price Index and Inflation Rate by Commodity Group
Region V: March and February 2009
(2000=100)

Commodity Group	CPI		Inflation Rate*
Commodity Group	March	February	March	February
All Items	159.1	158.8	7.4	8.6
Food, Beverages & Tobacco	160.4	159.9	10.0	12.1
Clothing	133.2	132.9	2.2	2.5
Housing & Repairs	146.5	146.4	4.4	4.4
Fuel, Light and Water	174.3	173.8	(2.7)	(2.9)
Services	180.6	180.9	7.8	8.6
Miscellaneous	130.4	130.0	3.6	3.4

   * - year-on-year change

   On a month-on-month basis, the increase in the general level of consumer prices eased to 0.3 percent in March from 0.8 percent in February. Almost all commodity groups posted decreases in inflation rate: Fuel, Light and Water (2.2 percentage points), Food, Beverages and Tobacco (0.6 percentage point), Services (0.4 percentage point) and Miscellaneous commodity group (0.1 percentage point). Clothing and Housing and Repairs sustained its previous month's level.

   The purchasing power of the peso in Bicol Region remained at 63 centavos in March 2009 from P1.00 in 2000. [Source of basic data: National Statistics Office Date Posted: April 8, 2009]

more....

AECID grants 1.6 million Euro for Legazpi City's Environment Project

   The City Government of Legazpi received a grant of 1.6 million Euro or Php 93 million from the Agencia Españna Cooperacion International Para El Desarollo (AECID) for the city's ecological solid waste management project. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed March 5, 2009 by Mayor Noel Rosal of the city government Legazpi and His Excellency, Ambassador Luis Arias of the Spanish Government at Hotel Venezia. NEDA 5 witnessed the event together with the heads of regional agencies, Legazpi City government officials, and non-government organizations.

   The project will be the first ecological solid waste management project in Bicol, pursuant to RA 9003 of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. It will involve the construction of a sanitary landfill facility, IEC and capability building activities. It will benefit some 135,000 residents of Legazpi City.

   The project will address environmental problems and provide employment and livelihood opportunities. Extensive IEC will be undertaken to increase awareness of the population to adopt waste segregation. The capability building activities will strengthen the People's Organization that will manage and sustain the operation of the livelihood of the livelihood projects of the MRF.

      NEDA Region 5 facilitated the early project preparation stages and preliminary negotiations that commenced in November 2008. The Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering are on-going.