The inflation rate at the regional level, for the bottom 30% income households decelerated to 1.0 percent in March 2025 or a 0.6 percentage point decrease from the February 2025 inflation. The index was recorded at 5.6 percent in the same reference month of the previous year.  The main contributors to the downtrend of inflation were food and non-alcoholic beverages (-0.4 percent inflation), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (2.4 percent inflation), and transport (-1.4 percent inflation). 

INFLATION RATE BY COMMODITY GROUP

Moreover, lower annual gains were observed in the inflation rates of recreation, sport and culture (3.5% inflation), health (1.7% inflation), personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services (1.5% inflation), and clothing and footwear (0.8% inflation).

On the other hand, the following commodity groups recorded a higher annual increment in March 2025, compared with the indices in the previous month:
• Restaurants and Accommodation Services (7.5% inflation)
• Information and Communication (6.2% inflation); and
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (6.0% inflation)

Meanwhile, the commodity groups of education services (2.7% inflation), furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (0.6% inflation), and financial services (0.0% inflation) retained their previous month’s inflation rate.

INFLATION RATE BY FOOD GROUP

The region’s food index decreased to -0.6 percent in March 2025, from 0.6 percent in the previous month, and 7.4 percent in March 2024. Moreover, the decline in food inflation was mainly contributed by rice with -12.3 percent inflation.

Additionally, meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (16.0% inflation) posted a lower annual index in March 2025.

In contrast, seven food groups registered faster growths in their March 2025 inflation rate, while flour, bread, and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals retained its previous month’s 1.8 percent inflation rate. 

INFLATION RATE BY PROVINCE

Among the provinces and highly urbanized city in the region, the City of Puerto Princesa had the highest inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households, with 4.2 percent, while Romblon posted the lowest, with -3.5 percent.

Additionally, the provinces of Marinduque (2.4% inflation) and Palawan (1.9% inflation) recorded higher growth in March 2025, compared with their previous month’s inflation rate.

The province of Oriental Mindoro showed an ease in its inflation, while Occidental Mindoro registered a contraction of 1.6 percent in March 2025, from the 5.2 percent growth in the previous month.

The average price of goods and services in the province of Palawan recorded a general increase, with 1.9 percent inflation in March 2025, from the -0.9 percent inflation recorded in the previous month.