THE national average retail price for well-milled rice in early July was P45.56 per kilogram (kg), the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
Prices rose 0.4% for the July 1-5 period, which the PSA refers to as the first phase of July, compared with prices between June 15 and 17, or the second phase of June.
The PSA said the highest retail prices were recorded in Central Visayas P48.25 per kg.
On the low end of the scale was rice from the Ilocos Region, which fetched P41.88 per kg during the period.
The PSA said that the average price for a kilogram of galunggong (round scad) was P197.85 per kg.
The highest average prices were reported in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) at P259.20 per kg. Zamboanga Peninsula returned the lowest price at P129 per kg.
The PSA said that the average price of medium-sized chicken eggs fell 1.4% to P8.44 per piece from P8.56 reported in the second phase of June.
The highest average price was reported in Eastern Visayas at P9.49 and the lowest was in Soccsksargen at P7.27.
The PSA said that the average price of red onion was P206.59 per kg, up 2% from the second phase of June.
The region with the highest-priced red onions was Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) with P242.23 per kg; while prices were lowest in the Ilocos Region at P167.5 per kg.
The average prices of carrots and brown sugar rose 24.2% to P131.65 per kg and 0.2% to P83.32 per kg, respectively.
On the other hand, the average price for calamansi, or native lemon, fell 4.9% to P88.13 per kg. — Adrian H. Halili