A. Sarangani Province

1. Overall Inflation

The headline inflation in Sarangani Province recorded a decline of 1.5 percent in March 2025 from an annual drop of 1.6 percent in February 2025. In March 2024, the inflation rate was higher at 4.6 percent. (Table A and Figure 1)    

1.1 Main Drivers to the Upward Trend of the Overall Inflation (Table B)

The uptrend in the province’s inflation rate in March 2025 was primarily influenced by the slower annual decline in the index of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 0.7 percent from a 2.0 percent annual decrease in February 2025. This was followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages with a slower year-on-year decline of 3.5 percent in March 2025 from a 3.7 percent annual decrease in the previous month. The index of health also contributed to the uptrend with a faster annual increment of 2.1 percent inflation during the month from 2.0 percent in February 2025.

Meanwhile, slower annual increment was observed in the following indices in March 2025:

a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, at 5.0 percent from 5.3 percent;
b. Clothing and footwear, at 0.8 percent from 1.1 percent; and 
c. Recreation, sport, and culture, at 4.6 percent from 4.8 percent.

Moreover, faster annual decline was noted in the index of transport at 2.7 percent annual drop in March 2025 from 0.8 percent decline in February 2025.

The following are the indices of the commodity groups that retained their respective previous month’s inflation rates:

a. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, at 1.1 percent;
b. Information and communication, at zero inflation;
c. Education services, at zero inflation;
d. Restaurants and accommodation services, at zero inflation; 
e. Financial services, at zero inflation; and
f. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services; at 4.3 percent.

1.2 Main Contributors to the Headline Inflation

The top three commodity groups contributing to the March 2025 overall inflation were the following:

a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages with 116.2 percent share or -1.7 percentage point;
b. Transport with 16.3 percent share or -0.2 percentage point; and
c. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 5.7 percent share or -0.1 percentage point.

2. Food Inflation

Food inflation at the provincial level recorded a decline of 3.8 percent in March 2025 from a 4.0 percent annual decrement in February 2025. In March 2024, food inflation was higher at 7.6 percent.

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

The acceleration of food inflation in March 2025 was primarily brought about by the annual increment in the index of vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 3.6 percent from a 0.3 percent annual decline in February 2025.

Moreover, faster annual increases were observed during the month in the following indices:

a. Flour, Bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, at 3.8 percent from 2.5 percent;
b. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, at 3.6 percent from 1.0 percent; 
c. Fish and other seafood, at 1.8 percent from 1.3 percent;
d. Milk, other dairy products and eggs, 6.7 percent from 4.7 percent;
e. Fruits and nuts, 3.9 percent from 2.8 percent; and
f. Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c., at 3.9 percent from 3.6 percent.

Furthermore, slower annual decline were registered in the index of corn at  26.6 percent in March 2025 from 26.7 percent annual drop in February 2025.

In contrast, faster annual decline were noted during the month in the indices of rice at 18.2 percent from a 15.0 percent annual decrease in February 2025 and sugar, confectionery and desserts with an annual decline of 2.0 percent from a 1.5 percent annual drop in the previous month.  

In addition, slower annual increment was observed in oils and fats at 18.4 percent in March 2025 from 21.9 percent in February 2025.

2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

Food inflation contributed 119.6 percent share or -1.8 percentage point to the overall inflation in March 2025. The top three food groups in terms of contribution to the food inflation during the month were the following:

a. Cereals and cereal products, which includes rice, corn, flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, with 154.6 percent share or -5.9 percentage point;
b. Sugar, confectionery and desserts with 1.6 percent share or -0.1 percentage point; and
c. Fruits and nuts with -3.9 percent share or 0.2 percentage point.

The Purchasing Power of Peso (PPP) in Sarangani Province remained at PhP 0.77 in March 2025 from the previous month. This implies that a peso in 2018 is only worth 77 centavos in March 2025, or you need PhP 130.20 to purchase the same volume of 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 Sarangani Province, PPP has been decreasing on the average of 0.04 annually from 2018 to 2024. By comparison, the PPP in 2024 was 0.76 which implies that the PhP 1.00 in 2018 as the base year, values only PhP 0.76 in 2024. (Figure 2)