Growth in factory gate prices in the Philippines slowed in April compared to the previous month, driven primarily by a deceleration in the price increases of refined petroleum products, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported by Philstar Biz .
The Producer Price Index (PPI) for manufacturing, which measures changes in factory gate prices, rose at a slower annual rate of 3.2% in April, down from 3.8% in March. The PSA attributed the moderation largely to the petroleum sector, where price gains eased to 1.5% from 4.2% in the prior month.
Other sectors that contributed to the slowdown included food manufacturing, where price growth softened to 4.1% from 4.5%, and chemical products, which saw a decline of 0.3% year-on-year. The overall trend reflects easing cost pressures for manufacturers, though analysts said global oil price volatility remains a risk.