Manila, May 13 -- Interventions by the government helped ease the April inflation rate in Western Visayas, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Tuesday.

The inflation rate in the region in April was at 1.9 percent from 2.7 percent in March, according to a report of Statistical Specialist I Miguel Gallego.

The downtrend was due to the slower inflation in food and non-alcoholic beverages at 0.9 percent from 2.5 percent in March; transport at -2.1 percent from -1.1 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 3.7 percent from 4.1 percent in March.

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels commodity has a 33.4 percent share of the headline inflation; while food and non-alcoholic beverages commodity...