Manila  - The Philippines' inflation rate eased to 9.9 per cent in November as price increases of food and fuel products slowed down, the government said Friday.

The National Statistics Office said the November inflation rate was lower than the 11.2-per-cent rate posted in October. The inflation rate in the same month a last year was 3.2 per cent.

"The continued deceleration in the annual rates of the heavily weighted food, beverages and tobacco index, together with those of fuel, light and water and services resulted to the downward trend," the agency said in a statement.

"The inflation rate for food alone continued a downward trend as it settled at 14.5 per cent in November from 15.6 per cent in October," it added.

The November rate brought the average inflation rate for the first 11 months of the year to 9.4 per cent.

The central bank forecasts annual inflation to average between 9 per cent and 11 per cent for the full year. (dpa)