Are We Really Not That High?

by NEIL POVADORA

Inflation is an inevitable part of economic growth; however, the extent of the inflation rate of one country gradually increasing due to time is an alarming condition.

One of the most prominent people in our country said that we are not that high regarding the inflation rate. This statement was during June 2022 when the country was still at the rate of 6.1%; the perfect time to address such concern since it was in the middleoftheyear.

Unfortunately, the inflation rate continued to rise, eventually leading to our current rate of 8%, marking the country's highest inflation in 14 years. Note thatastheinflationrateincreases,thepricesofgoodsin themarketalsoincrease.

Student-wise, the hike in the inflation rate poses a considerable problem. When it comes to the daily cost of a student, most of it boils down to transportationfeesandfoodconsumption.

The students are already on campus premises as wearestillon the bridgeof fullydivulginginto a faceto-face setup. Compared to the pre-pandemic costs, our prices todayareunfriendlytostudentbudgets.

When given an allowance of around ₱200 a day, ₱100 pesos is just for the fare, while the other half is allocated to food and unforeseen fees to pay at school. This amount is still an estimation, how much for thosewho live farfromschoolandhavelessbudget.

This is why, as students, we need to seek further improvement in the country's inflation game. It is a given circumstance for a country to reach a period of raising its inflation rate, but at the cost of providing a problem to not just students but everybody's wallets, a progressive and urgent action would be the best for the welfareofourcountry'seconomyandits people.