Total external trade up The external trade in goods in SOCCSKSARGEN Region totaled to US$187.551 million in June 2021, down by 0.4 percent from US$188.271 million in June 2020 (Table 1).

The Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households of SOCCSKSARGEN Region stood at 6.2% in November 2021 from the same figure the previous month. Transport sustained a double digit record of 16.5% from 15.8% in October 2021, thus, posting the highest inflation rate among the 10 major commodity groups in the market basket.

The Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households eased to 6.2% in October 2021 from 6.5% in the previous month. Transport sustained a double digit record of 15.8% from 15.3% in September 2021, thus, posting the highest inflation rate along with Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at 11.9%.

YEAR-ON-YEAR INFLATION RATES The Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households in SOCCSKSARGEN Region eased to 5.5% in December 2021 from 6.2% in November 2021. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels (HWEGOF) recorded the highest inflation at 7.2% from 7.0% the previous month. Aside for HWEGOF, price gains were also noted in Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (from 5.7% to 5.9%) and Health (from 1.9% to 2.0%).

During the reference period, the total agricultural output of SOCCSKSARGEN Region increased by about 2.8 percent from 7.43 million in 2020 to 7.64 million metric tons in 2021.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) For All Items in SOCCSKSARGEN in February 2022 was recorded at 113.9 index points. This indicates that the average retail price of commodities that were included in the market basket for all goods and services for the month under review was 13.9 percent higher than in the reference-based year of 2018. The February 2021 CPI for All Items at 109.6 index points, was lower by 4.3 index points compared to its February 2022 index.

The external trade in goods in SOCCSKSARGEN Region totaled to US$191.240 million in August 2021, up by 25.1 percent from US$152.872 million in August 2020.

The CPI for All Items in SOCCSKSARGEN Region increased by 113.9 index point in January 2022 from 108.5 index points in January 2021. The average retail price of commodities included in the market basket for all goods and services for the month under review increased by 11.3 percent from the 2018-based year.

Palay Production in SOCCSKSARGEN Region First Quarter 2022

The number of registered live births in SOCCSKSARGEN Region in the First Quarter of CY 2021 is 14,907 births by Usual Residence of Mother, lower by 10.45 percent from the same reference period in 2020 (see table 1). The province of South Cotabato recorded the highest decrease in birth growth rate in First Quarter of 2021 with 15.91, followed by Sarangani with 10.84 percent decrease in growth rate.