INFLATION RATE FOR ALL INCOME HOUSEHOLDS

The headline inflation rate at the provincial level increased to 2.6 percent in March 2025, or a change of 0.6 percentage points from the inflation rate in the previous month. In the same reference month of the previous year, it was posted at 0.9 percent. The uptrend of inflation in March 2025 was mainly driven by the combined acceleration in the indices for selected commodity groups such as food and non-alcoholic beverages at 4.6 percent, alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 4.2 percent, and health at 1.5 percent. 

Furthermore, higher annual increment was also observed in the inflation rate for the
information and communication at -0.2 percent.

On the other hand, the annual indices of the following commodity groups showed lower
growth compared to the previous month, as follows:
• Clothing and footwear, 0.5%;
• Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 2.2%;
• Recreation, sport and culture, 2.0%; and,
• Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, 1.3%

Meanwhile, the indices of the following commodity groups maintained compared with the
annual figures from the previous month, as follows:
• Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 3.0%;
• Transport, -0.9%;
• Education services, 1.1%;
• Restaurants and accommodation services, -0.8%; and,
• Financial services, 0.0%.

The province’s food index further accelerated to 4.9 percent in March 2025, from 3.2 percent in the previous month. This was equivalent to a change of 1.7 percentage points. In March 2024, the food inflation rate was lower at -1.8 percent. The uptrend in food inflation was mainly due to the acceleration in the indices of fish and other seafood at 9.8 percent, meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals at 11.0 percent, and vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 9.2 percent.

Furthermore, the annual indices of the following food items exhibited higher growth when
compared with the annual figure from the previous month, as follows:
• Corn, 9.9%;
• Milk, other dairy products and eggs, 0.6%;
• Fruits and nuts, 6.4%; and,
• Sugar, confectionery and desserts, 0.8%.

On the other hand, the annual indices of the following food items exhibited lower growth
when compared with the annual figure from the previous month, as follows:
• Rice, -2.2%; and,
• Oils and fats, -1.7%.

Meanwhile, the annual indices of the following food items remained the same as the
previous month, as follows:
• Flour, Bread and Other Bakery Products, Pasta Products, and Other Cereals, -0.4%;
and,
• Ready-made food and other food products N.E.C., 4.6%.

PURCHASING POWER OF PESO

The Purchasing Power of Peso (PPP) in Marinduque maintained at PhP 0.75 in March 2025, down from PhP 0.77 in March 2024. As a result, consumers are now able to purchase fewer goods compared to when the PPP was higher. 

• Consumer Price Index is an indicator of the change in the average prices of a fixed basket of goods and services commonly purchased by households relative to a base year.

• Market Basket is a sample of goods and services, which is meant to represent the totality of all the goods and services purchased by households relative to a base year.

• To determine the commodities that will form the market basket for the 2018-based CPI, the Survey of Key Informants (SKI) was conducted in March 2021. The survey, which was conducted nationwide to store managers, sellers or proprietors, obtained information on the most commonly purchased goods and availed services
  by the households.
• The commodities in the 2018-based CPI market basket are grouped/classified according to the 2020 Philippine Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (PCOICOP) which is based on the United Nations COICOP. Meanwhile, the commodities in the 2012-based CPI market basket used the 2009 PCOICOP version of classification of commodities.

Base year is a reference period, usually a year, at which the index number is set to 100. It is the reference point of the index number series. The CPI is rebased from base year 2012 to base year 2018.
• Inflation Rate is the annual rate of change or the year-on-year change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
• Purchasing Power of Peso is a measure of the real value of the peso in a given period relative to a chosen reference period. It is computed by getting the reciprocal of the CPI and multiplying the result by 100
 

Inflation Rate (reference month, reference year)
= [(CPI (reference month, reference year) - CPI (reference month, previous year)) / CPI (reference month, previous year)] x 100%
For example,
INFLATION RATE (March 2025) = [(CPI (Marc 2025) - CPI(March 2024)) / CPI(March 2024)] x 100%
= [(133.4– 130.0) / 130.0] x 100%
= (3.4/ 130.0) x 100%
≈ 2.6%

Approved for Publication:
 

(SGD)GEMMA N. OPIS
Chief Statistical Specialist
PSA PSO Marinduque