Starting February 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the rebased Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Bottom 30% income households to base year 2018, from base year 2012 as announced in the press release number 2022-01 dated 04 January 2022. The CPI series for Bottom 30% income households for January 2023 onwards will be 2018-based.

A. Philippines

The country’s inflation rate has decreased to 1.1 percent from 1.5 percent in the previous month. The country’s inflation rate in March 2024 was higher at 4.6 percent. (Table A)

B. Central Visayas

Central Visayas has retained its previous month’s inflation rate at 1.7 percent. In March 2024, the region’s inflation rate was higher at 3.3 percent. (Table A)

C. Province of Negros Oriental

1. Headline Inflation

The overall inflation in Negros Oriental has decreased to -1.1 percent from 0.1 percent in March 2025. The inflation rate in March 2024 was observed at 4.4 percent. (Figure 1)

The province’s inflation rate was lower than the region’s inflation rate. (Table 1)

1.1 Main Drivers to the Headline Inflation

The overall inflation in March 2025 was primarily brought about by Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages at -1.9 percent from 0.2 percent. This was followed by Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other fuels at -0.4 percent from -0.2 percent. Transport ranked third at -2.1 percent from -1.7 percent in the previous month.

On the contrary, higher inflation rates were observed in the indices of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at 3.4 percent from 2.9 percent; Clothing and Footwear at 
0.3 percent from 0.1 percent; and Health at 0.6 percent from 0.1 percent.

Meanwhile, the following commodity groups have retained their previous month's inflation rates:

     a. Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance at 0.0 percent;
     b. Information and Communication at 0.0 percent;
     c. Recreation, Sport and Culture at 0.0 percent; 
     d. Education Services at 12.9 percent; 
     e. Restaurants and Accommodation Services at 0.0 percent; 
     f. Financial Services at 0.0 percent; and
     g. Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services at 0.2 percent.

1.2 Main Contributors to the Headline Inflation

The top 3 commodity groups contributing to the March 2025 provincial inflation rate of 
-1.1 percent were the following:

     a. Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages at 90.8 percent share or 1.0 percentage point;
     b. Transport at 12.5 percent share or 0.14 percentage point; and 
     c. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other fuels at 8.5 percent share or 0.09 percentage point.

2. Food Inflation

Food inflation at the provincial level has decreased to -2.0 percent in March 2025 from 0.2 percent in February 2025. In March 2024, food inflation was observed at 6.7 percent. (Tables 6 and 7)

2.1 Main Drivers to the Food Inflation

The main driver to the inflation of Food in March 2025 was brought about by Rice at -13.8 percent from -8.1 percent. This was followed by Corn at -7.0 percent from -1.1 percent. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (ND) at 1.5 percent from 5.8 percent.

Moreover, lower inflation rates during the month were also observed in the indices of the following food groups: (Table 5)

     a. Oils and Fats (ND) at -1.9 percent from 0.0 percent;
     b. Fruits and Nuts (ND) at -4.2 percent from -3.7 percent; and
     c. Sugar, confectionery and desserts (ND) at -1.1 percent from 5.1 percent.

On the contrary, five food groups posted higher inflation rates during the month compared to their previous month’s inflation rates, and these were as follows:

     a. Flour, Bread and Other Bakery Products, Pasta Products, and Other Cereals at 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent;
     b. Fish and other seafood (ND) at 7.3 percent from 5.0 percent;
     c. Milk, other dairy products and eggs (ND) at 0.3 percent from -0.3 percent;
  d. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses (ND) at 11.3 percent from 7.8 percent; and
     e. Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c. (ND) at 0.3 percent from 0.0 percent.

2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

In terms of contribution to the March 2025 provincial inflation rate, food shared 91.7 percent or -1.01 percentage points. Of the food groups, the top contributors to inflation were the following:

     a. Rice, with 161.9 percent share or -3.24 percentage points;
     b. Corn, with 56.4 percent share or -1.13 percentage points; and
     c. Fruits and Nuts (ND), with 6.6 percent share or -0.13 percentage point.
 

TECHNICAL NOTES

The Philippine Statistics Authority generates and announces the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) based on a nationwide survey of prices for a given basket of goods and services. Two important indicators, the inflation rate and purchasing power of the peso (PPP), are derived from the CPI which are important in monitoring price stability and the value of the country’s currency.  

The CPI is an indicator of the change in the average retail prices of a fixed basket of goods and services commonly purchased by households relative to a base year.

Retail Price is the price at which a commodity is sold for spot in small quantities for consumption.

Base Period/Base Year is the period, usually a year, at which the index number is set to 100. It is the reference point of the index number series.

Market Basket is a term used to refer to a sample of goods and services that are commonly purchased and bought by an average Filipino household.

Weight is a value attached to a commodity or ground of commodities to indicate the relative importance of that commodity or group of commodities in the market basket.

Inflation Rate is equivalent to a decline in the purchasing power of the peso. It is the change in the CPI over a specific period of time (usually a month or a year). That is,

where:     

CPI1 - is the CPI in the previous period 
CPI2 - is the CPI in the current period

The Purchasing Power of the Peso (PPP) is a measure of the real value of the peso in a given period relative to a chosen reference period. It is computed by getting the reciprocal of the CPI and multiplying the result by 100. That is, 
 

Headline Inflation is the rate of change in the weighted average prices of all goods and services in the CPI basket.

Prepared by:

(SGD.)
ELMER T. BARING                   
Statistical Analyst          

Approved by:

(SGD.)
ARIEL T. FORTUITO
Chief Statistical Specialist