May 2025 Siquijor rate of inflation slightly increased to 1.6 percent. 

1. Philippines

   The Philippines’ headline inflation or overall inflation slowed down further to 1.3 percent in May 2025 from 1.4 percent in the previous month. This is the lowest inflation rate since November 2019 at 1.2 percent. This brings the average inflation rate from January to May 2025 to 1.9 percent. In May 2024, the inflation rate was higher at 3.9 percent. (Table A)

   The downtrend in the overall inflation in May 2025 was primarily brought about by the slower annual increment in the index of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 2.3 percent in May 2025 from 2.9 percent in the previous month.

2. Negros Island Region (NIR)

   Inflation in the Negros Island Region increased to 1.7 percent in May 2025. The regional year to date inflation is recorded at 1.9 percent. In May 2024, the inflation rate was higher at 4.1 percent.

   For the month of May 2025, two (2) provinces in NIR recorded an increase in inflation rate while one (1) province recorded a decrease in inflation rate. Negros Occidental and Siquijor recorded an increase in inflation rate to 2.4 percent and 1.6 percent from 2.1 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Negros Oriental recorded a decrease in inflation rate of -0.2 percent from -0.1 percent.

3. Province of Siquijor

   1. Headline Inflation

      The headline inflation at the provincial level in May 2025 slightly increased to 1.6 percent. The year-to-date inflation of the province for 2025 is at 1.7 percent. Compared to the inflation in May 2024, Siquijor’s inflation rate was still higher at 3.8 percent. (Table A & B and Figure 1)

      

       

      

       

      1.1 Main Drivers to the Upward Trend of Inflation

      The upward trend of the headline inflation for the month of May was primarily brought by the increase in the index of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 2.9 percent from 1.8 percent. Second is the slower annual increase in the index of clothing and footwear at 0.9 percent from 0.7 percent. Third, is the slower increment of the index of health at 0.8 percent from 0.7 percent. (Table C, 3 & 4)

      On the other hand, four (4) commodity groups recorded a decrease in inflation rate compared to its previous months rate which is the index of:

      1. Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at 1.5 percent from 1.7 percent;
      2. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels at 0.9 percent from 1.8 percent;
      3. Transport at -1.8 percent from -0.8 percent;
      4. Recreation, Sport and Culture at 1.1 percent from 1.2 percent. (Table C, 3 and 4)

       

      Moreover, six (6) commodity groups recorded a constant inflation rate:

      1. Furnishing, household equipment and routine household maintenance at 2.7 percent;
      2. Information and Communication at 0.4 percent;
      3. Education Services at 0.5 percent;
      4. Restaurants and Accommodation Services at 1.2 percent
      5. Financial Services at 0.0 percent;
      6. Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services at 2.1 percent. (Table C, 3 and 4)

       

      

       

      1.2 Main Contributors to the Headline Inflation

      The top three main contributors to the April 2025 overall inflation of 1.5 percent in the province were the following:

      1. Food and Non-alcoholic beverages with 77.2 percent share or 1.24 percentage point;
      2. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 11.0 percent share or 0.18 percentage point; and
      3. Furnishing, household equipment and routine household maintenance with 6.7 percent share or 0.11 percentage point.

       

   2. Food Inflation

      Food inflation at the provincial level increased to 3.1 percent compared to its previous month’s rate of 1.8 percent. In May 2024, food inflation was higher at 4.4 percent. (Table D, 6 & 7)

      2.1 Main Drivers to the Upward Trend of the Food Inflation

      The increase of food inflation in May 2025 was primarily brought about by the faster increase in the index of fish and other seafood at 17.5 percent from 9.9 percent. Second, is the index of meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals at 16.6 percent from 15.5 percent. Lastly, is the increase in the index of milk, other dairy products and eggs at 2.3 percent from 1.9 percent.

      Additionally, the index of fruits and nuts also recorded a increase at 9.1 percent from 8.7 percent. (Table D & 5)

      On the contrary, three (3) food groups recorded a decrease in inflation rate:

      1. Cereals and cereal products at -10.6 percent from -10.0 percent;
      2. Sugar, confectionery and desserts at -1.8 percent from -0.4 percent;
      3. Ready-made food and other food products at 0.3 percent from 3.2 percent. (Table D & 5)

       

      Moreover, two (2) food groups recorded a constant inflation rate:

      1. Oils and fats at 0.0 percent;
      2. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 4.9 percent. (Table D & 5)

       

      

       

      2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

      In April 2025, food shared at the provincial level of 52.8 percent or 0.79 percentage points to the overall inflation. The main food items contributing to the April 2025 overall food inflation were the following:

      1. Fish and other seafood with 116.7 percent share or 3.62 percentage points;
      2. Meats and other parts of slaughtered land animals with 65.4 percent share or 2.03 percentage points; and
      3. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with 18.2 percent share or 0.56 percentage point.

       

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

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.

Uses of CPI

• The CPI is most widely used in the calculation of the inflation rate and purchasing power of peso. It is a major statistical series used for economic analysis and as monitoring indicator of the government economic policy.
• Measures the composite change in the consumer prices in various commodities overtime.

Computation of CPI

The computation of CPI involves consideration of the following important points:

1. Base Period – The reference date or base period is the benchmark or reference date or period at which the index is taken as equal to 100.
2. Market Basket – A sample of the thousands of varieties of goods purchased for consumption and the services availed by the households in the country selected to represent the composite price behavior of all goods and services purchased by consumers.
3. Weighting System - The weighting pattern uses the expenditures on various consumer items purchased by households as a proportion to total expenditure.
4. Formula - The formula used in computing the CPI is the weighted arithmetic mean of price relatives, the Laspeyre’s formula with a fixed base year period (2018) weights.
5. Geographic Coverage – CPI values are computed at the national, regional, and provincial levels, and or selected cities.

Inflation Rate

The inflation rate is the annual rate of change, or the year-on-year change of CPI expressed in percent. Inflation is interpreted in terms of declining purchasing power of money.

***Statistical tables in excel file are provided as an attachment of this release.

(SGD) JOSELITO C. MAGHANOY
(Supervising Statistical Specialist)/
Officer-in-Charge