Manila, Sept. 5 -- The government is intensifying efforts to ensure sufficient supply and keep the prices of key commodities affordable despite recent weather disturbances, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said.

DEPDev made the assurance after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday that headline inflation picked up to 1.5 percent in August from 0.9 percent in July.

In a briefing, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said the latest data brought the year-to-date average inflation to 1.7 percent, still below the lower end of the government's 2 percent to 4 percent target range.

Mapa said weather disturbances contributed to the increase in food prices last month.

While rice continued to pos...