Quantity of domestic trade increases

The total quantity of domestic trade during the first quarter of 2019 totaled to 5.54 million tons, an increase of 8.4 percent from the 5.11 million tons recorded in the first quarter of 2018 (Figure 1).

Food and live animals commodities led in terms of quantity, with 1.19 million tons or 21.5 percent share to total quantity of domestic trade. Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes commodities was the least with 0.04 million tons.

Almost all or 99.9% of the commodities were traded through water (coastwise) while the remaining commodities, through air.

Among the regions, Northern Mindanao posted the highest quantity of traded commodities of 1.59 million tons during the first quarter of 2019. Central Luzon and National Capital Region (NCR) followed with 1.13 million tons and 0.72 million tons, respectively (Figure 2).

Other regions’ quantity of traded commodities were the following:

• Central Visayas, 0.71 million tons;
• Western Visayas, 0.40 million tons;
• Eastern Visayas, 0.29 million tons;
• Bicol Region, 0.24 million tons;
• Caraga Region, 0.16 million tons;
• Davao Region, 0.09 million tons;
• SOCCSKSARGEN, 0.06 million tons;
• Zamboanga Peninsula, 0.05 million tons;
• ARMM, 0.05 million tons;
• MIMAROPA Region, 0.04 million tons; and
• CALABARZON, 0.88 thousand tons.

Value of domestic trade slips

The total value of domestic trade amounting to PHP173.75 billion during the first quarter of 2019 slightly decreased by 0.6 percent from the PHP174.88 billion total value in the same quarter of 2018 (Figure 3).

Machinery and transport equipment continued to account for the highest value of traded commodities during the first quarter of 2019, amounting to PHP59.74 billion or 34.4 percent of the total value of domestic trade (Figure 4). Food and live animals with a value of PHP38.40 billion and manufactured goods classified chiefly by material with PHP22.49 billion placed second and third, respectively. The value of other commodity sections were the following:

• Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, PHP13.43 billion;
• Chemical and related products, n.e.c., PHP11.74 billion;
• Beverages and tobacco, PHP8.66 billion;
• Miscellaneous manufactured articles, PHP7.30 billion;
• Commodities and transactions, not elsewhere classified in the PSCC, Rev. 2, PHP7.13 billion;
• Crude materials, inedible except fuels, PHP3.12 billion; and
• Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes, PHP1.75 billion.

Outflow value of domestic trade slightly decreases

Outflow refers to the total value of commodities that goes out the specified region or province.

Total outflow value in the first quarter of 2019 totaled to PHP173.75 billion. This represents a mere decrease of 0.6 percent from the PHP174.88 billion in the same quarter of 2018. Among the regions, NCR exhibited the highest outflow value amounting to PHP45.63 billion or 26.3 percent of the total outflow. Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas followed with PHP30.23 billion and PHP25.77 billion, respectively (Figure 5). Outflow values of other regions were as follows: 

• Western Visayas, PHP21.75 billion;
• Northern Mindanao, PHP17.58 billion;
• Central Luzon, PHP10.93 billion;
• Caraga Region, PHP5.82 billion;
• Zamboanga Peninsula, PHP4.00 billion;
• Bicol Region, PHP3.30 billion;
• SOCCSKSARGEN, PHP2.83 billion;
• Davao Region, PHP2.48 billion;
• ARMM, PHP2.01 billion;
• MIMAROPA Region, PHP1.39 billion; and
• CALABARZON, PHP23.30 million.

Inflow value of domestic trade drops

Inflow refers to the total value of commodities that comes in the specified region or province.

Likewise, inflow value in the first quarter of 2019 posted PHP173.75 billion. This represents a decline of 0.6 percent from the PHP174.88 billion in the same quarter of 2018. Among the regions, Central Visayas exhibited the highest inflow value amounting to PHP33.59 billion or 19.3 percent of the total inflow. Caraga and Western Visayas followed with PHP30.32 billion and PHP23.74 billion, respectively (Figure 6). Inflow values of other regions were the following: 

• NCR, PHP20.08 billion;
• Northern Mindanao, PHP18.45 billion;
• Eastern Visayas, PHP12.34 billion;
• Zamboanga Peninsula, PHP10.56 billion;
• Davao Region, PHP6.91 billion;
• MIMAROPA Region, PHP5.11 billion;
• CALABARZON, PHP4.47 billion;
• SOCCSKSARGEN, PHP2.71 billion;
• Bicol Region, PHP1.74 billion;
• Ilocos Region, PHP0.90 billion;
• ARMM, PHP0.75 billion; and
• Cagayan Valley, PHP5.34 million.

Trade Balance is the difference between the outflow and inflow that is, outflow value minus inflow value.

Of the 17 regions, six had registered favorable trade balances in the first quarter of 2019. NCR topped with trade balance of PHP25.55 billion, followed by Eastern Visayas with trade balance amounting to PHP13.44 billion (Figure 7). Other regions with favorable trade balance were the following:

• Central Luzon, PHP8.85 billion;
• Bicol Region, PHP1.56 billion;
• ARMM, PHP1.26 billion; and
• SOCCSKSARGEN, PHP121.94 million.

On the other hand, the 10 regions with unfavorable (negative) trade balance were the  following:

• Caraga Region, PHP24.49 billion;
• Zamboanga Peninsula, PHP6.56 billion;
• CALABARZON, PHP4.45 billion;
• Davao Region, PHP4.43 billion;
• MIMAROPA Region, PHP3.72 billion;
• Central Visayas, PHP3.35 billion;
• Western Visayas, PHP1.99 billion;
• Ilocos Region, PHP0.90 billion;
• Northern Mindanao, PHP0.86 billion; and
• Cagayan Valley, PHP5.34 million.

(Sgd.)   ROSALINDA P. BAUTISTA
             (Director II)
             Officer-in-Charge
             Sectoral Statistics Office

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Introduction

Commodity flow or domestic trade statistics is a compilation of data on commodities carried through air, rail, and water transport systems in the country.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) compiles domestic trade statistics from copies of coasting manifests and coastwise passenger manifest collected from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and copies of air waybills from Philippine Airlines (PAL) to generate Commodity Flow or Domestic Trade Statistics. Coasting manifests are collected from major ports and other active seaports listed by the PPA all over the country to account for transactions that went through seaports. 

Data on the inflow and outflow of commodities in the different regions of the country are used to construct inter-regional and inter-industry relation tables.

All copy of documents are compiled and processed by the Provincial Statistical Offices.  Final data review of the data files, generation of statistical tables, and preparation of Special Releases are done at the Trade Statistics Division (TSD).

The 1993 Philippine Standard Commodity Classification (PSCC) Revision 2 is used to classify the commodities at the 5-digit level (item) for coastwise statistics and 3-digit level (group) for air statistics for statistical purposes.

All documents received as of 15 June 2019 were processed and included in the generation of 2019 first quarter statistical tables. Documents received after the set deadline will be included in the final tabulation.

Datafiles from NCR, Batangas and Tawi-Tawi with the following details were not received as of 15 June 2019 and thus, are not included in this Special Release:

Detailed data on domestic trade statistics are available at the Trade Statistics Division (TSD) of Economic Sector Statistics Service (ESSS) with telephone number (02) 376-19-75.

Limitations of Domestic Trade Statistics

The domestic trade statistics contained in this report pertains to the flow of goods through airports and seaports in the country, whether for government or private use, or for commercial purposes. Domestic trade through land was excluded because of an absence of an approach to data in the archipelagic island of the country. Moreover, data on rail transport are also excluded.

Air waybills, on the other hand, were collected from the Philippine Airlines accounting for transactions that passes through all airports.

Goods and/or commodities that were excluded in the compilation of data are:

          a. Goods transported by vessels of the Philippine Navy;

          b. Fish and other marine products landed directly from the sea;

          c. Service cargoes for consumption of the vessel crew;

          d. Cadaver; and