Release Date :
Reference Number :
SR-2025-0604-09
- Year-on-Year Inflation
In March 2025, the headline inflation rate in Aklan further eased to 0.4 percent, marking the lowest level recorded since May 2019. This is a notable decline from the 1.4 percent rate registered in February 2025 and is 3.4 percentage points lower than the 3.8 percent inflation recorded in March 2024. On average, prices of goods and services in the province increased at a slower pace compared to the national and regional inflation rates, which stood at 1.8 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively.
Table 1. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates, All Items
In percent
(2018=100)
Source: Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index, Philippine Statistics Authority
Table 2. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates by Month: Aklan, January 2019 to March 2025
Among provinces and highly-urbanized cities in Western Visayas, Aklan posted 3rd lowest inflation rate next to Antique and Guimaras with -0.1 percent and 0.2 percent inflation, respectively. This further implies that living costs in Aklan were rising slower than other provinces and highly-urbanized cities in March 2025.
Top contributors to downtrend of inflation
Four (4) major commodity groups exhibited slower inflation rates and Six (6) showed constant movement of prices from February to March 2025. Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages contributed the highest in the inflation trend turnaround this month, having 69.9 percent share to inflation downtrend. It registered an inflation of -0.6 percent in March 2025 from 1.3 percent inflation in the previous month. (See Figure 3)
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, distantly followed, that displayed a deceleration in inflation from 1.7 percent in the previous month to 0.2 percent in March 2025, while, Restaurants and accommodation services decline from 7.5 percent a month ago to 6.9 percent inflation reported this month. Also, Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services also decreased from 0.5 percent in February 2025 to 0.2 percent inflation in March 2025. (See Figure 3)
Other major commodities that showed stable inflation rate from February to March 2025 were:
- Clothing and Footwear, with 0.8 percent inflation;
- Health, with 0.3 percent inflation; and
- Recreation, sport and culture, with 2.3 percent inflation (See Figure 3).
Meanwhile, Information and Communication, Financial Services and Education Services recorded stable yet zero percent inflation from February and March 2025: Zero percent inflation implies that these commodities have shown no price changes compared to 2024. (See Figure 3)
On the contrary, the following major commodity groups showed faster inflation rates from February 2025 to March 2025:
- Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, from 1.3 percent to 4.1 percent inflation;
- Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, from 1.9 percent to 2.0 percent inflation; and
- Transport, from -1.1 percent to -0.1 percent inflation. (See Figure 3)
Figure 3. Inflation rates for All Income Households by Major Commodities: Aklan, February to March 2025
Major Contributors to Inflation
Generally, inflation means that prices of goods and services increase over time. In March 2025, prices of goods and services still went up, however, at a slower rate.
The overall inflation of Aklan was mainly contributed by price hike of Restaurants and accommodation services which recorded 6.9 percent inflation with 86.1 percent share to overall inflation. This was followed by Alcoholic beverages and tobacco with 4.1 percent inflation and 34.7 percent share to inflation, and Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance with 2.0 percent inflation and 16.3 percent share to inflation.
On the contrary, Food and non-alcoholic beverages contributed the least to the overall inflation of Aklan, having -0.6 percent inflation and -58.3 percent share. Transport distantly followed with -0.1 percent inflation and -1.7 percent share to inflation.
Table 3. Year-on-Year Inflation rates, for All Income Households, by Major Commodity Groups: Aklan, March 2024, February 2025 and March 2025
- Food Inflation
In the province of Aklan, food posted -0.8 percent inflation in March 2025. It significantly slowed down compared to 6.9 percent inflation in March 2024. Food inflation was recorded at 1.3 percent in February 2025.
Aklan ranked 3rd lowest food inflation among the provinces and highly-urbanized cities in Western Visayas. It also showed slower inflation rate compared to the national and regional food inflation of 2.3 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.
The negative food inflation indicates that prices of food commodities, on the average, went down in March 2025 compared to last year and further implies that food were more affordable this month than a year ago.
Major contributors to downtrend of food inflation
Among the 11 food commodities, rice was the main contributor to the downtrend in food inflation, posting a deflation of -10.8 percent in March 2025, a sharp decline from -5.9 percent in February 2025. Notably, rice has been exhibiting negative inflation since December 2024, indicating that rice prices have been significantly lower compared to the same period in the previous year. (See Figure 5)
Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, followed next, from 7.9 percent to 3.3 percent inflation in February 2025, as well as, Fish and other seafoods which declined from 5.4 percent to 4.4 percent from February to March 2025. (See Figure 6)
The following also exhibited slower inflation rates from February to March 2025:
- Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, from -2.9 percent to -3.2 percent;
- Fruits and nuts, 2.1 percent to 1.7 percent; and
- Oils and fats, 1.7 percent to 1.5 percent. (See Figure 6)
On the contrary, price of other food products increased faster from February to March 2025:
- Flour, Bread and Other Bakery Products, Pasta Products, and Other Cereals, from 0.3 percent to 0.7 percent;
- Milk, other dairy products, and eggs, from 1.2 percent to 1.5 percent;
- Sugar, confectionery and desserts, from 1.2 percent to 4.5 percent; and
- Ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified, 2.5 percent to 3.2 percent. (See Figure 6)
Figure 6. Inflation by Food Commodities: Aklan, February 2025 and March 2025
Major Contributors to Food Inflation
Food inflation in March 2025 was mainly caused by price movement of Rice, that recorded -10.8 percent inflation and contributed 316.3 percent to the total food inflation. Also, prices of Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses contributed highly to the food inflation, with -3.2 percent inflation which accounted to 33.8 percent share to food inflation. (See Figure 2)
- Purchasing Power of Peso
The purchasing power of peso (PPP) is inversely associated with inflation, which implies that as inflation increases, the purchasing power of peso decreases and vice versa.
The Purchasing Power of the Peso (PPP) in March 2025 stood at 81 centavos, unchanged from March 2024, but slightly higher than the 80 centavos recorded in February 2025. This means that a basket of goods and services worth ₱1,000 in March 2024 would cost ₱1,004.04 in March 2025. Compared to the previous month, consumers needed an additional ₱5.64 in March 2025 to purchase the same ₱1,000 worth of goods and services from February 2025.
Meanwhile, food became more affordable for Aklanons in March 2025 compared to the same month last year. A household that spent ₱1,000 on food in March 2024 spent ₱992.16 in March 2025—₱7.84 less. In particular, rice prices showed significant deflation: rice that cost ₱55 per kilo in March 2024 averaged only to ₱44.62 per kilo in March 2025.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Retail Price Survey on the Generation of Consumer Price Index
EXPLANATORY TEXT
Consumer Price Index (CPI) - is an indicator of the change in the average retail prices of a fixed basket of goods and services commonly purchased by the households relative to a base year. It shows how much on the average, prices of goods and services have increased or decreased from a particular reference period.
The CPI Report was derived from the results of the 2018-based CPI survey comprised of thirteen (13) major commodity groups. These are the following: Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages; Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco; Clothing and Footwear; Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels; Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House; Health; Transport; Information and Communication Services; Recreation, Sport and Culture; Education; Restaurants and Accommodation Services; Financial Services; and Personal Care and Miscellaneous Goods and Services.
Inflation rate is defined as the annual rate of change or the year-on-year change in the CPI.
Purchasing power of peso is a measure of the real value of the peso in a given period relative to a chosen reference period.
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.
Base period or 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. In this report, 2018 is used as the base period.
ENGR. ANTONET B. CATUBUAN
Chief Statistical Specialist
