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

A.    Zamboanga Peninsula

1)    Headline Inflation

Inflation rate in Zamboanga Peninsula increased to 0.2 percent in May 2025 from 0.0 percent in April 2025. This brings the region’s annual inflation from January to May 2025 at 1.0 percent. Inflation rate was higher in May 2024 at 4.6 percent. (Table A and Figure 1)

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

The acceleration in the region’s inflation in May 2025 was primarily influenced by the increase in the indices of Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages at (1.4) percent from (2.0) percent, Restaurants and Accommodation Services at 4.4 percent from 4.1 percent and Clothing and footwear at 1.5 percent from 1.2 percent.

Compared with the previous month’s inflation rates, faster annual increment was noted in the index of Information and communication at 0.1 percent from 0.0 percent in the previous month.

In contrast, lower inflation rate during the month was observed in the index of the following:

1)    Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 3.7 percent from 4.1 percent;
2)    Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 3.0 percent from 2.5 percent;
3)    Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 2.5 percent from 2.6 percent;
4)    Health, 3.7 percent from 4.0 percent;
5)    Transport, (3.2) percent from (3.0) percent; and
6)    Recreation, sport and culture, 2.8 percent from 3.0 percent.

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

1)    Education Services, 4.8 percent;
2)    Financial Services, 0.0 percent; and
3)    Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, 1.6 percent.

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

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

1)    Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 188.8 percent share or 0.38 percentage point; 
2)    Restaurants and Accommodation Services with 115.8 percent share or 0.23 percentage point; and
3)    Alcoholic beverages and tobacco with 36.7 percent share or 0.07 percentage point.

Table B. Year-on-year Inflation Rates in Zamboanga Peninsula, All items in Percent
January 2021 to April 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 increased to (2.0) percent in May 2025 from (2.5) percent in the previous month. Meanwhile, food inflation in May 2024 was higher at 6.4 percent.

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

This month’s upward trend in the category of Food was mainly due by the higher increase in the annual inflation of Fish and other seafood (ND) with (5.2) percent from 1.3 percent, Milk, other dairy products and eggs (ND) with 8.5 percent in May 2025 from 5.4 percent in April 2025, and Fruits and nuts (ND) at 14.1 percent from 11.6 percent in the previous month.

Moreover, the following food groups were observed to have higher increments during the month:

1)    Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c (ND), (2.5) percent from 2.7 percent; and
2)    Oils and fats (ND), (0.3) percent from (0.5) percent.

On the contrary, slower annual increases were noted in the indices of the following food group:

1)    Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (ND), 5.8 percent from 5.9 percent; and
2)    Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses (ND), 2.7 percent from 7.4 percent; 
3)    Rice, (17.1) percent from (16.8) percent;
4)    Flour, Bread and Other Bakery Products, Pasta Products, and Other Cereals, 2.2 percent from 2.4 percent; and
5)    Sugar, confectionery and desserts (ND), 0.5 percent from 1.5 percent.

Cereal and cereal products retained its previous month’s inflation with (12.7) percent.

2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation:

Food Inflation contributed (348.6) percent share or (0.70) percentage points to the  May 2025 Inflation rate. Among the food groups, the main contributors to the food inflation during the month were the following:

1)    Cereals and cereal products, 247.7 percent share or (4.95) percentage points; 
2)    Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses (ND), 11.7 percent share or (0.23) percentage point;
3)    Oils and fats (ND), 0.2 percent share or (0.00) percentage point

Among the provinces in the region, City of Isabela had the highest inflation at 2.0 percent, followed by Zamboanga Sibugay at 1.2 percent, City of Zamboanga at 0.4 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

GBS/MGCN/ajdc