Central Visayas

Central Visayas’ overall inflation in February 2025 remained at 2.5 percent, the same annual growth rate recorded in January 2025. Inflation in February 2024 was posted at 2.7 percent (Tables 1 and 2).

Main Contributors to the Regional Inflation

The top three commodity groups contributing to the 2.5 percent regional inflation in February 2025 were the following:
a.    Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages with 40.4 percent share or 1.0 percentage point; 
b.    Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels with 26.9 percent share 
or 0.7 percentage point; and
c.    Transport with 14.6 percent share or 0.4 percentage point.
 
Food Inflation

Food inflation at the regional level decreased to 2.7 percent in February 2025 from 3.0 percent in the previous month. In February 2024, food inflation was higher at 2.9 percent (Table 3).

Main Drivers to the Downward Trend of Food Inflation

The deceleration of food inflation in February 2025 was primarily brought about by the faster annual decline of rice at 4.5 percent in February 2025 from 2.9 percent annual decline in the previous month. This was followed by corn with a slower year-on-year increase of 11.9 percent during the month from 14.8 percent in January 2024. In addition, the index of meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals also contributed to the downtrend as it recorded a slower year-on-year increase of 5.3 percent during the month from 6.1 percent in January 2024.

Slower annual growth rates were also noted in the indices of flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals which was recorded at 0.5 percent in February 2025 from 0.7 percent in January 2024, and ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified which was recorded at 2.4 percent in February 2025 from 3.3 percent in January 2024.

On the contrary, higher annual growth rates during the month were observed in the indices of the following food groups:

a.    Fish and other seafood, 6.0 percent from 5.6 percent;
b.    Fruits and nuts, 5.8 percent from 4.7 percent; and
c.    Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, 9.3 percent from 6.1 percent.

In addition, slower annual declines were noted in the indices of the following food groups during the month:

a.    Milk, other dairy products and eggs at -0.6 percent from -1.0 percent; 
b.    Oils and fats at -0.2 percent from -0.3 percent; and
c.    Sugar, confectionery and desserts at -2.1 percent from -4.1 percent.
 
Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

Food shared 38.5 percent or 1.0 percentage point to the overall regional inflation in February 2025. The top three food groups in terms of contribution to the food inflation during the month were the following:

a.    Fish and other seafood with 40.7 percent share or 1.10 percentage points; 
b.    Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals with 33.4 percent share 
or 0.90 percentage point; and
c.    Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with 24.6 percent share or 0.67 percentage point.

Inflation Rate by Region

In February 2025, only Central Visayas retained its previous month’s rate of 2.5 percent. The lowest inflation rate was recorded in Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) at -0.3 percent while Region II (Cagayan Valley) recorded the highest inflation at 3.9 percent during the month. (Figure 2)

Inflation Rate by Province/HUC

Among the provinces and Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs) in Central Visayas, two provinces recorded faster year-on-year growth rates this month compared with the previous month’s inflation rates while the rest of the provinces and HUCs recorded slower year-on-year growth rates this month compared with the previous month’s inflation rates. (Figure 3)

TECHNICAL NOTES

Starting February 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the rebased Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all 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 all income households for January 2022 onwards will be 

2018-based.

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. 

WILMA A. PERANTE
(Director II)
Officer-in-Charge