The Department of Finance (DOF) is urging the Department of Agriculture and Department of Transportation (DOTr) to facilitate the movements of food supplies to ensure prompt price normalization.

Following the uptick in inflation, Finance Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran, said that ensuring efficient food supply movements should be prioritized to taper the rate of increase in consumer prices in the coming months.

In November, headline inflation clocked in at 3.3 percent, highest since February last year and beyond the 2.4 percent to 3.2 percent forecast range of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Beltran said the higher than expected inflation is due to food prices, which rose by an average of 4.49 percent during the month from only 2.4 percent in October.

The increase in food costs, particularly meat (8.15 percent), fish (5.32 percent), and vegetables (14.6 percent), however was due to the series of typhoons that swept the country, Beltran said.

The agriculture department estimated that typhoons “Ofel,” “Nika,” “Pepito,” “Quinta,” “Rolly,” and “Ulysses” brought P15.3 billion in damage and losses to the farm sector.

“The surge in November price level is partly due to base effects and mainly because of higher prices of important food items,” Beltran said in his report submitted to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III.

But the finance official added that the impact of natural calamities on inflation could be softened as long as the agriculture department and DOTr help in facilitating movements of food supplies from imports and food-surplus regions.

Despite the slight acceleration of inflation, Beltran pointed out that the average rate in the first 11-month is only at 2.6 percent, still within the 2.0 percent to 4.0 percent inflation target range set by the Duterte administration.

Meanwhile, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said that restrictions on public transport have also contributed to the rising inflation.

Chua noted that inflation for transport services remained elevated in the last six months, as a result of social distancing directives and reduced passenger capacities in all modes of public transport.

Transport cost jumped 7.6 percent in November, a reversal of -2.4 percent in the same month last year, but slightly lower than 7.9 percent seen last October.

For the reason, Chua raised the need to revisit the public transport system guidelines and for LGUs and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to monitor and review prevailing and unwarranted fare increases in public transport.

He also reiterated his call to gradually reopen the economy and allow more public transport, while still reinforcing the “seven commandments” of safe public transportation.

“To help ease the burden on public transport operators and drivers who have been

adversely affected by the lockdowns, the DOTr may also consider waiving some regulatory fees,” Chua said.