Table A. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates, All Items
In Percent
(2018=100)

A.    Zamboanga Peninsula

1.    Headline Inflation

Inflation rate in Zamboanga Peninsula moved at a slower pace of 1.5 percent in February 2025 from 2.9 percent in January 2025. Inflation rate was higher in February 2024 at 2.2 percent. (Table A and Figure 1)

1.1 Main Drivers to the Downward Trend for the Headline Inflation:

The downward trend in the region’s inflation in February 2025 was primarily influenced by the deceleration in the indices of Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages at 0.2 percent from 1.4 percent, Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 4.8 percent from 6.3 percent and Transport at (1.2) percent from 1.7 percent.

Compared with their previous month’s inflation rates, slower annual increments were noted in the indices of the following commodity groups during the month:

1)    Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 5.0 percent from 7.8 percent;
2)    Clothing and footwear, 1.3 percent from 1.4 percent;
3)    Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 2.6 percent from 3.6 percent;
4)    Health, 3.6 percent from 4.2 percent;
5)    Recreation, sport and culture, 3.7 percent from 6.0 percent;
6)    Restaurants and Accommodation Services, 4.6 percent from 6.1 percent; and
7)    Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services, 2.0 percent from 2.7 percent.

In contrast, higher inflation rate during the month were observed in the index of Information and communication at 0.2 percent from (0.9) percent.

Meanwhile, the Education Services and Financial Services retained their previous month’s inflation rate at 4.8 percent and 0.0 percent, respectively.

2.2 Main Contributors to the Inflation Rate for the Headline Inflation:

The following commodity groups were the top three contributors to the February 2025 overall inflation:

1)    Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 50.3 percent share or 0.75 percentage point; 
2)    Restaurants and Accommodation Services with 18.0 percent share or 0.27 percentage point; and
3)    Alcoholic beverages and tobacco with 6.4 percent share or 0.10 percentage point.

Table B. Year-on-year Inflation Rates in Zamboanga Peninsula, All items in Percent
January 2021 to February 2025
(2018=100) 

Inflation Rate by Commodity Group for All Income Households in
ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA 2018=100

 Food Inflation

Food inflation in Zamboanga Peninsula decreased to 0.0 percent in February 2025 from 1.2 percent in the previous month. Meanwhile, food inflation in February 2024 was higher at 3.6 percent.

2.1 Main Drivers behind the downward trend of the Food Inflation.

This month’s downward in the category of Food was mainly due by the slower increase in the annual inflation of Cereal and cereal products (ND) with (7.2) percent from (4.0) percent, Fish and other seafood (ND) with 1.5 percent in February 2025 from 2.9 percent in January 2025, and Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (ND) at 5.5 percent from 5.6 percent in the previous month.

Contrarily, the following food groups were observed to have higher increments during the month:
1)    Oils and fats (ND), 0.4 percent from (0.1) percent;
2)    Sugar, confectionery and desserts (ND), 2.0 percent from (1.3) percent;
3)    Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c (ND), 5.6 percent from  4.6 percent;
4)    Milk, other dairy products (ND), 3.8 percent from 2.1 percent;
5)    Fruits and nuts, 14.1 percent from 13.8 percent; and
6)    Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses (ND), 5.7 percent from 4.9 percent.

Among the provinces in the region, Zamboanga City had the highest inflation at 
2.8 percent, followed by Zamboanga del Norte at 2.0 percent, City of Isabela at 
1.7 percent and Zamboanga Sibugay with 0.6 percent inflation. On the other hand, Zamboanga del Sur recorded the lowest inflation which stood at 0.2 percent inflation.

Note: CPIs and inflation rates by province and selected city are posted at the PSA website (http://openstat.psa.gov.ph/).

MEWCHUN WS. PAMARAN
Regional Director

MFET/ajdc