A. General Santos City

1. Overall Inflation

The headline inflation or overall inflation in General Santos City further declined to 1.8 percent in April 2025 from a 0.5 percent annual decrease in March 2025. In April 2024, the inflation rate was higher at 3.1 percent. (Table A and Figure 1)
 

1.1 Main Drivers to the Downward Trend of Headline Inflation (Table B)

The downtrend in the overall inflation in April 2025 was primarily brought about by the faster year-on-year decline in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 2.8 percent from a 0.3 percent annual decrease in March 2025, followed by transport at 5.6 percent during the month from an annual drop at 3.8 percent in the previous month, and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 3.4 percent in April 2025 from a 2.6 percent year-on-year decline in March 2025.

In contrast, higher inflation rates were observed in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 1.9 percent during the month from 1.8 percent in March 2025, and health at 4.3 percent in April 2025 from 4.2 percent in the previous month.

Meanwhile, the indices of the following commodity groups maintained their respective previous month’s annual growth rates:

a. Clothing and footwear, 1.1 percent;
b. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 0.2 percent;
c. Information and communication, at 0.0 percent; 
d. Recreation, sport and culture, at 0.9 percent; 
e. Education services, at 8.7 percent; 
f. Restaurants and accommodation services, at -0.8 percent; 
g. Financial services, at 0.0 percent; and
h. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, at 1.6 percent.
 

1.2 Main Contributors to the Headline Inflation

The top three commodity groups that contributed to the April 2025 overall inflation were the following:
    
a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages with 60.9 percent share or -1.1 percentage point; 
b. Transport with 32.7 percent share or -0.6 percentage point; and
c. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 32.1 percent share or -0.6 percentage point.

2. Food Inflation

Food inflation in General Santos City further declined to 3.2 percent in April 2025 from a 0.5 percent annual decrease in March 2025. In April 2024, food inflation was higher at 6.2 percent.  

2.1 Main Drivers to the Downward Trend of the Food Inflation (Table C)

The deceleration of food inflation in April 2025 was primarily influenced by the faster year-on-year decline of rice at 16.1 percent during the month from a 12.5 percent annual drop in the previous month. This was followed by the annual decrease of fish and other seafood at 0.6 percent during the month from an annual increase at 2.7 percent in the previous month. Also contributed to the downtrend was the faster year-on-year decrement of vegetables, tuber, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 8.9 percent in April 2025 from a 2.9 percent annual drop in March 2025.

In addition, annual decline was also observed in the index of fruits and nuts at 0.2 percent in April 2025 from an annual increase at 4.3 percent in the previous month. Faster annual decrease was noted in the index of sugar, confectionery and desserts at 2.9 percent during the month from a 0.7 percent annual drop in the previous month.

Moreover, slower inflation rates were noted during the month in the indices of the following food groups:

a. Corn, 1.6 percent from 2.9 percent; 
b. Flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products,  and other cereals, 1.2 percent from 1.4 percent;
c. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 5.4 percent from 7.6 percent;
d. Oils and fats, 5.6 percent from 7.3 percent; and
e. Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c., 1.7 percent from 3.4 percent.

In contrast, higher inflation rate was observed during the month in the index of milk, other dairy products and eggs at 8.3 percent from 7.5 percent in the previous month.
 

2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

Food inflation share was at 65.8 percent or -1.2 percentage point to the April 2025 overall inflation. The top three food groups in terms of contribution to food inflation during the month were the following:

a. Cereals and cereal products, which include rice, corn, flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals with a share of 125.5 percent or -4.0 percentage point;
b. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with a share of 21.9 percent or -0.7 percentage point; and
c. Fish and other seafood with a share of 3.5 percent or -0.1 percentage point.

The Purchasing Power of Peso (PPP) in General Santos City increased to PhP 0.81 in April 2025. This means that a peso in 2018 is worth 81 centavos in April 2025, or you need PhP 123.60 to purchase the same goods and services that cost PhP 100.00 in 2018.

The PPP is inversely related to inflation rate. Therefore, as the inflation rate decreases, PPP inclines. In General Santos City, PPP has been decreasing on the average of 0.04 annually from 2018 to 2024. By comparison, the PPP in 2024 was 0.79 which implies that the PhP 1.00 in 2018 as the base year, values only PhP 0.79 in 2024. (Figure 2)