By Kris M. Crismundo
MANILA, March 28 (PNA) — Commodity flow within the Philippines during the fourth quarter of 2013 has increased by 5.2 percent to Php 149.18 billion from the same period of 2012’s value of Php141.76 billion, the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Friday.
The value of domestic trade went up last quarter of 2013 despite a decline in its quantity by 9.6 percent to 4.56 million tons from 5.04 million tons recorded in Q4 of 2012.
Top commodity that was traded domestically in Q4 last year is Food and Live Animals which shared 32.3 percent of the total products flowed in the local market or amounting to Php 48.16 billion.
Machinery and Transport Equipment is the second largest traded commodity within the country accounting for 18.3 percent of the total locally traded products and valued at Php 27.26 billion.
This is followed by Manufactured Goods Classified Chiefly by Materials which shared 13.9 percent or Php 20.69 billion; Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials at 8.7 percent or Php 13.04 billion; and Chemical and Related Products at 6.6 percent or Php 9.79 billion.
Further, 99.8 percent of the total flowed commodities in Q4 of last year are traded via water.
Bulk of the traded products in the domestic market came from Metro Manila with transaction value of Php 44.28 in Q4 of 2013.
Central Visayas followed Metro Manila with local transaction amount of Php 25.43 billion; Western Visayas with Php 20.41 billion; and Northern Mindanao with Php 18.72 billion as major sources of commodities traded throughout the country. (PNA)