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

A.    Zamboanga Peninsula

1.    Headline Inflation

Inflation rate in Zamboanga Peninsula continued to move at a slower pace of 0.6 percent in March 2025 from 1.5 percent in February 2025. This brings the region’s annual inflation from January to March 2025 at 1.7 percent. Inflation rate was higher in March 2024 at 3.5 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 March 2025 was primarily influenced by the deceleration in the indices of Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages at (0.8) percent from 0.2 percent, Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 2.5 percent from 4.8 percent and Transport at (2.1) percent from (1.2) 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, 4.0 percent from 5.0 percent;
2)    Information and communication at 0.0 percent from 0.2 percent
3)    Recreation, sport and culture, 3.2 percent from 3.7 percent; and
4)    Restaurants and Accommodation Services, 4.1 percent from 4.6 percent.
In contrast, higher inflation rate during the month was observed in the index of Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance 2.8 percent from 2.6 percent.

Meanwhile, the following commodity groups retained their previous month’s inflation:

1)    Clothing and footwear, 1.3 percent;
2)    Health, 3.6 percent;
3)    Education Services, 4.8 percent;
4)    Financial Services, 0.0 percent; and
5)    Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services, 2.0 percent.

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

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

1)    Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 68.9 percent share or 0.41 percentage point; 
2)    Restaurants and Accommodation Services with 47.3 percent share or 0.28 percentage point; and
3)    Alcoholic beverages and tobacco with 17.5 percent share or 0.11 percentage point.

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

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

2. Food Inflation

Food inflation in Zamboanga Peninsula decreased to (1.1) percent in March 2025 from 0.0 percent in the previous month. Meanwhile, food inflation in March 2024 was higher at 5.6 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 (10.8) percent from     (7.2) percent, Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c (ND) with 3.8 percent in March 2025 from 5.6 percent in February 2025, and Oils and fats (ND) at 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent in the previous month.

Contrarily, the following food groups were observed to have higher increments during the month:
1)    Fish and other seafood (ND), 2.1 percent from 1.5 percent;
2)    Milk, other dairy products (ND), 4.1 percent from 3.8 percent;
3)    Fruits and nuts, 14.2 percent from 14.1 percent;
4)    Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses (ND), 7.4 percent from 5.7 percent; and
5)    Sugar, confectionery and desserts (ND), 3.1 percent from 2.0 percent.
Furthermore, the food group of Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (ND) was recorded the same inflation rate from the previous month at 5.5 percent.

Among the provinces in the region, City of Isabela had the highest inflation at 
2.2 percent, followed by City of Zamboanga at 1.7 percent, Zamboanga Sibugay at 
0.3 percent and Zamboanga del Norte with 0.2 percent inflation. On the other hand, Zamboanga del Sur recorded the lowest inflation which stood at (0.6) 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/RRM/ajdc