The value of commodities traded within the country contracted 33.1 percent in the second quarter of 2015, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Thursday.
Data showed that the total value of commodities that flowed within the country decreased to P113.93 billion in the April-to-June period in 2015, from P170.20 billion in the same period in 2014.
The PSA also said the quantity of domestic trade that flowed within the country declined to 3.72 million tons in the second quarter of 2015, from 4.87 million tons in 2014.
“Commodity flow or domestic trade refers to the flow of commodities through the water, air and rail- transport systems in the country,” the PSA said.
In the second quarter of 2015, the bulk of the value of commodities, or 30.2 percent, that flowed throughout the country came from food and live animals amounting to P34.41 billion.
This was followed by manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials with P19.58 billion, or 17.2 percent of the total and machinery and transport equipment with P19.22 billion, or 16.9 percent.
Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes had the least value of P1.37 billion or 1.2 percent.
Food and live animals contributed the largest value in the second quarter of 2014, amounting to P49.65 billion, or 29.2 percent.
Machinery and transport equipment followed next with P38.71 billion, or 22.7 percent, while manufactured goods classified chiefly by material recorded P23.72 billion, or 13.9 percent.
Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes also shared the least value of P2.14 billion, or 1.3 percent of the total.
National Capital Region reported the highest share on domestic trade at 25.5 percent in the second quarter of 2015.
Central Visayas was second with a 21.6-percent share, followed by Western Visayas with 21.3 percent and Northern Mindanao with 9.7 percent.
PSA data, however, showed that Calabarzon domestic trade contributed the least share among the regions, with only 0.2 percent of the total.
Data on the inflow and outflow of commodities in the different regions of the country are used by the government to construct interregional and interindustry relation tables.
These serve as bases in the formulation and implementation of various regional development programs, like countryside development and port planning.