Inflation rate accelerated to -1.8 percent in March 2025

Table 1. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates in Apayao Province, All Items in Percent    March 2025 (2018=100)    

    Source: Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index, Philippine Statistics Authority

The province’s inflation rate accelerated to -1.8 percent in March 2025 from                     -3.7 percent in February 2025. It is lower by 9.4 percentage points compared with the same month of the previous year at 7.6 percent and 1.9 percentage point higher than February 2025 at -3.7 percent. (Table 1 and Figure 1)

Figure 1. Year-on Year Inflation Rate, All Items in Percent, March 2024 – March 2025 (2018=100)

Source: Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index, Philippine Statistics Authority

Table 2. Year-on-Year Consumer Price Index in Apayao, By Commodity Groups in Percent (2018=100)

  Source: Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index, Philippine Statistics Authority

The overall CPI decreased from 127.5 of the same month of the previous year to    125.2 in March 2025, representing a -1.8 percent inflation rate. The data shows that the value of goods amounting to 100 pesos in the base year 2018 values 127.50 pesos in March 2024; 125.50 pesos in February 2025; and 125.20 pesos in March 2025. When the CPI decreases, it indicates that the average price level of goods and services has also decreased, and vice versa. (Table 2)

Table 3. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates in Apayao, By Commodity Groups in Percent (2018=100)

      Source: Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index, Philippine Statistics Authority

The commodity groups which have the highest percentage share in the trend during the period are:

1.  Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, which accounted for -4.5 percent inflation and had a 91.4 percent share;

2. Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, which accounted for 6.2 percent inflation and had a 5.8 percent share; and

3. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, which accounted for 0.4 percent inflation and had a 1.7 percent share in the overall trend.

Moreover, the commodity subclass which had the highest contribution in the trend are:

1. Cereals with 47.0 percent;

2. Fish, live, fresh, chilled or frozen with 13.7 percent;

3. Meat, fresh, chilled or frozen with 11.9 percent;

4. Eggs with 9.9 percent;

5. Other vegetable-based tobacco products with 5.4 percent;

6. Vegetable oils with 2.4 percent;

7. Electricity with 1.7 percent;

8. Cane and beet sugar with 1.4 percent;

9. Dates, figs and tropical fruits, fresh with 1.4 percent; and

10. Coffee and coffee substitutes with 1.1 percent.

On the contrary, there are commodity groups which decreased on their inflation rate, compared to the previous month:

1. Clothing and Footwear which decreased by 0.1 percentage point;

2. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance which decreased by 0.1 percentage point; and

3. Information and communication which decreased by 0.2 percentage point.

(Table 3 and Figure 2)

On the other hand, the commodity groups with constant inflation compared to the previous month are:

1. Education Services with 0.0 percent; and

2. Financial Services with 0.0 percent.

 (Table 3 and Figure 2)

Figure 2. Inflation Rate of All Items by Commodity Groups, Comparison Between March 2024 and March 2025

Source: Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index, Philippine Statistics Authority

Figure 3. Purchasing Power of Peso in Apayao (2018=100): March 2018 – March 2025

Source: Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index, Philippine Statistics Authority

Purchasing Power of Peso (PPP) recorded at 0.78 in March 2025

Purchasing power of peso continues to weaken through the years and reached       0.78 in March 2025. The PPP of 0.78 implies that the Php1.00 in the base year 2018 values only Php 0.78 in March 2025. A low purchasing power signifies that the currency has depreciated in value and can acquire a reduced amount of goods and services. Conversely, a high purchasing power of the peso indicates that the currency can purchase a greater quantity of goods and services. (Figure 3) 

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the overall change in consumer prices based on a representative basket of goods and services over time.

Bottom 30% Income Households measures inflation specifically for low-income families, using a market basket and weights tailored to their consumption patterns, distinct from the general CPI. 

Inflation refers to an overall increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is a weighted average of prices for different goods.

Purchasing power of the peso shows how much the peso in the base period is worth in the current period. It is computed as the reciprocal of the CPI for the period under review multiplied by 100.

Commodity Groups are group of goods and services found in the market basket of the province. There are thirteen (13) commodity groups which were arranged according to the PCOICOP.

FNAB stands for Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

ABT stands for Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco

CF stands for Clothing and Footwear

HWEGO stands for Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels

FHERHM stands for Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance

IC stands for Information and Communication

RSC stands for Recreation, Sport, and Culture

ES stands for Education Services

RAS stands for Restaurants and Accommodation Services

FS stands for Financial Services

PCMGS stands for Personal Care, Miscellaneous Goods and Services

Approved by:

(sgd)

GEOFFREY B. CALIMUHAYAN 
Chief Statistical Specialist

 LSBT