THE AVERAGE consumption of well-milled rice in the top income tier in 2018 was more than six times the total of the poorest consumers, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a report.
Per capita consumption of well-milled rice for the year was estimated 10.46 kilograms (kg) for the first decile, or the lowest-income group and 65.53 kg for the 10th decile, or the highest-income group, according to the Family Income and Expenditure Survey by the PSA.
The national average for consuming well-milled rice was 32.60 kg, with residents of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) posting the highest tally of 53.80 kg per capita. The National Capital Region (NCR) came in at 46.25 kg, and the Cordillera Administrative Region 41.05 kg. Bicol and Eastern Visayas were the lowest on the scale with 8.67 kg and 11.77 kg, respectively.
Per capita consumption of corn was higher in the lower-income deciles, with the first and third deciles consuming 24.34 kg and 12.84 kg respectively. On the other end of the scale, the ninth decile averaged 2.72 kg.
Per capita consumption of corn was 9.14 kg, with Zamboanga Peninsula leading at 48.16 kg, followed by Northern Mindanao at 36.64 kg, and Central Visayas 35.18 kg. Ilocos Region was bottom of the table with 0.20 kg per person.
For regular-milled rice, average per capita consumption in 2018 was 66.52 kg, with Eastern Visayas coming in at 104.03 kg per person. Consumption of regular-milled rice was highest in the third income decile at 74.57 kg.
Consumption of subsidized rice sold via the National Food Authority (NFA) averaged 4.13 kg per capita for the year, with Bicol Region the most dependent on the NFA at 7.65 kg per person. The first income decile posted a per-capita average of 7.21 kg.
The average per capita consumption of pork was 6.35 kg. Residents of the NCR averaged 8.83 kg, followed by Calabarzon with 8.62 kg and Central Luzon 7.66 kg.
The national average for chicken was 6.89 kg, with the NCR posting a per capita tally of 12.94 kg. Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) came in at 9.85 kg, and Calabarzon 9.18 kg.
On average, per capita consumption of galunggong (round scad) was 3.90 kg, with Zamboanga Peninsula and the NCR the top consumers at 6.22 kg and 4.74 kg, respectively. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson