1. Headline Inflation

Zamboanga del Sur’s headline inflation or overall inflation remained at -0.6 percent in June 2025 as it recorded the same annual growth rate as in May 2025. This brings the province’s average inflation from January to June 2025 to -0.2 percent. In June 2024, the inflation rate was posted at 5.2 percent.

Varied annual growth rates in the indices of the commodity groups were observed in June 2025.

Faster annual increases were observed in the indices of the following commodity groups:

a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages, -2.4 percent from -2.6 percent;
b. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 4.3 percent from 3.8 percent;
c. Transport, -2.2 percent from -3.5 percent;
d. Recreation, sport and culture, 4.0 percent from 3.3 percent; and
e. Education services, 6.3 percent from 6.0 percent.

On the other hand, the following commodity groups registered lower annual increments during the month:

a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 5.2 percent from 5.3 percent;
b. Clothing and footwear, 1.5 percent from 1.6 percent;
c. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 2.5 percent from 3.6 percent;
d. Restaurants and accommodation services, 0.5 percent from 1.4 percent; and
e. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, 2.3 percent from 3.0 percent.

The indices of health, information and communication, and financial services retained their previous month’s annual increment. (Table C)

1.1 Main Contributors to the Headline Inflation

The top three commodity groups contributing to the June 2025 overall inflation were the following:

a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages with 226.2 percent share or -1.36 percentage points;
b. Transport with 22.1 percent share or -0.13 percentage point; and
c. Information and communication with 0.3 percent share or -0.00 percentage point.

2.0 Food Inflation

Food inflation in the province slowly declined to 2.8 percent in June 2025 from an annual drop of 3.0 percent in the previous month.

2.1 Main Drivers to the Upward Trend of Food Inflation

The acceleration of food inflation in June 2025 was primarily brought about by the faster year-on-year increase in the index of fruits and nuts at 24.0 percent in June 2025 from 16.2 percent in the previous month. Also contributing to the uptrend was the faster annual increase in the index of fish and other seafood at 9.8 percent during the month from 9.1 percent in May 2025.

In addition, higher inflation rates during the month were noted in the following food groups:

a. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 6.9 percent from 6.8 percent;
b. Milk, other dairy products and eggs, 8.6 percent from 8.3 percent;
c. Oils and fats, -3.4 percent from -4.3 percent;
d. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, -7.2 percent from -8.2 percent; and
e. Sugar, confectionery and desserts, -0.9 percent from -2.4 percent.

In contrast, lower annual increases were noted in the following food groups:

a. Cereals and cereal products, -15.3 percent from -14.7 percent; and
b. Ready-made food and other food products, -3.1 percent from -0.7 percent.

2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

Food inflation shared 248.9 percent or -1.49 percentage points to the overall inflation in June 2025. The top three food groups in terms of contribution to food inflation during the month were the following:

a. Cereals and cereal products with 228.0 percent share or -6.38 percentage points;
b. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with 23.4 percent share or -0.65 percentage point; and
c. Ready-made food and other food products with 3.7 percent share or -0.10 percentage point.

In Zamboanga del Sur, the purchasing power of the peso (PPP) in June 2025 is 0.80. This means that a peso in 2018 is worth 80 centavos in June 2025, or the amount of PhP 100.00 in 2018 is equivalent to PhP 80.00 in June 2025. An additional interpretation is that “You will need PhP 125.70 to purchase the same set of goods and services worth PhP 100.00 in 2018.” (Table E)

DIMNA P. BIENES 
Chief Statistical Specialist