A. Sarangani Province

1. Overall Inflation

The headline inflation in Sarangani Province further declined to 2.9 percent in April 2025 from an annual drop at 1.5 percent in March 2025. In April 2024, the inflation rate was higher at 5.6 percent. (Table A and Figure 1)

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

The downtrend in the province’s inflation rate was primarily influenced by the faster annual decline in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 5.7 percent in April 2025 from a 3.5 percent annual decrease in the previous month, followed by the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 1.3 percent during the month from a 0.7 percent annual drop in March 2025, and transport at 3.7 percent in April 2025 from a 2.7 percent annual decrement in March 2025.

Moreover, slower annual increments were observed in the indices of the following commodity groups during the month:

a. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, at 1.0 percent from 1.1 percent;
b. Health, at 1.2 percent from 2.1 percent;
c. Recreation, sport, and culture, at 3.6 percent from 4.6 percent; and 
d. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, at 3.8 percent from 4.3 percent.

In contrast, higher inflation rates were noted in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 5.3 percent during the month from 5.0 percent in March 2025 and clothing and footwear at 0.9 percent in April 2025 from 0.8 percent in the previous month.  

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

a. Information and communication, at zero inflation;
b. Education services, at zero inflation;
c. Restaurants and accommodation services, at zero inflation; and
d. Financial services, at zero inflation.

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 101.7 percent share or -3.0 percentage point;
b. Transport with 12.0 percent share or -0.4 percentage point; and
c. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 5.7 percent share or -0.2 percentage point.

2. Food Inflation

Food inflation at the provincial level further declined to 6.2 percent in April 2025 from a 3.8 percent annual decrement in March 2025. In April 2024, food inflation was higher at 10.0 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 brought about by the year-on-year decline of vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 8.2 percent from an annual increase at 3.6 percent in March 2025. This was followed by the faster annual decline in the index of rice at 22.8 percent during the month from 18.2 percent annual drop in March 2025. Also contributed to the downtrend was the slower inflation rates of fish and other seafood at 0.4 percent in April 2025 from 1.8 percent in the previous month.

In addition, faster annual decrement was noted in the index of sugar, confectionery and desserts at 2.4 percent in April 2025 from an annual drop at 2.0 percent in March 2025.

Moreover, lower inflation rates were observed during the month in the following indices:

a. Flour, Bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, at 3.6 percent from 3.8 percent;
b. Oils and fats, at 13.2 percent from 18.4 percent;
c. Fruits and nuts, at 1.8 percent from 3.9 percent; and
d. Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c., at 3.3 percent from 3.9 percent.

In contrast, faster annual increases were recorded during the month in the indices of meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals at 3.8 percent from 3.6 percent in the previous month, and milk, other dairy products and eggs at 7.7 percent from 6.7 percent in March 2025.  

In addition, slower annual decline was observed in the index of corn at 22.1 percent in April 2025 from a 26.6 percent annual decrease in March 2025.

2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

Food inflation contributed 104.5 percent share or -3.0 percentage point to the overall inflation in April 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 108.2 percent share or -6.7 percentage point;
b. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with 13.9 percent share or -0.9 percentage point; and
c. Sugar, confectionery and desserts with 1.2 percent share or -0.1 percentage point.

The Purchasing Power of Peso (PPP) in Sarangani Province remained at PhP 0.77 in April 2025 from the previous month. This implies that a peso in 2018 is only worth 77 centavos in April 2025, or you need PhP 129.10 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)