The 71.9% spike in boat fares in December was a major contributor to overall transport sector inflation for the month, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed.
National Statistician and Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa reported that the transport sector was the second-largest contributor to December’s 2.9% inflation rate, following housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels.
Passenger transport by sea experienced a 71.9% inflation rate in December, a significant jump from 17.1% in November. This surge pushed the overall transport sector inflation to 0.9% in December, reversing the 1.2% decline recorded in November 2024.
According to Mapa, the increase in boat fares per passenger accounted for 46.9% of December’s transport inflation.
For example, ship fares for a one-way trip from Manila to Cebu in December rose to ₱2,975 per passenger, up from ₱1,895 in November. This December rate was also higher than the ₱2,605 per passenger fare recorded in June.
Mapa explained that the cost of travel by sea is largely seasonal, with fares typically increasing during the holiday season in December and the summer months of May, June, and July.
Fares generally decline from January to March before rising again in the middle of the year. After the summer peak, fares tend to stabilize before increasing once more in December.
“The higher ship fares are putting upward pressure on the transport sector’s inflation in December,” Mapa noted.
