A. General Santos City

1. Overall Inflation

The overall inflation rate for the bottom 30% income households in General Santos City posted a decline at 3.2 percent in April 2025 from an annual decrease at 1.7 percent in March 2025. In April 2024, the city’s inflation rate was higher at 4.3 percent. (Figure 1 and Table A)

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

The downtrend in General Santos City’s inflation for the bottom 30% income households in April 2025 was primarily brought about by the faster year-on-year decline in food and non-alcoholic beverages at 5.0 percent from an annual decrease at 2.4 percent in March 2025. This was followed by the faster annual decrements in the indices of transport at 4.6 percent and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 3.8 percent during the month from their respective year-on-year decreases at 3.2 percent and 3.1 percent in March 2025.

Moreover, lower inflation rate was observed in the index of personal care and miscellaneous goods and services at 1.9 percent in April 2025 from 2.1 percent in the previous month.

In contrast, faster annual increments were observed in the following indices:

a.) Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 1.8 percent from 1.6 percent; 
b.) Health, 1.6 percent from 1.2 percent; and 
c.) Recreation, sport and culture, 2.7 percent from 2.6 percent.

Meanwhile, the rest of the commodity groups maintained their respective previous month’s inflation rates as follows:
    
a) Clothing and footwear, at 1.2 percent;
b) Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, at 0.3 percent
c) Information and communication, at zero inflation;
d) Education services, at 8.6 percent;
e) Restaurants and accommodation services, at -0.9 percent; and
f) Financial Services, at zero inflation.

1.2 Main Contributors to the Overall Inflation

The top three commodity groups which contributed to the overall inflation in April 2025 for the bottom 30% income households were the following:

a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages with 76.6 percent share or -2.5 percentage point; and
b. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 17.8 percent share or -0.6 percentage point; and
c. Transport with 13.5 percent share or 0.4 percentage point.

2. Food Inflation

Food inflation for the bottom 30% income households in General Santos City posted a faster annual decline at 5.5 percent in April 2025 from a 2.7 percent annual drop in the previous month. In April 2024, the city’s food inflation was higher at 7.6 percent.

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

The deceleration of food inflation for the bottom 30% income households in April 2025 was due to faster year-on-year decline in the index of rice at 17.6 percent from 14.0 percent annual decrease in March 2025. This was followed by the annual decrement in the index of fish and other seafood at 2.0 percent from a 1.7 percent annual increase in March 2025. Also, contributed to the downtrend was the faster annual decrease in the index of vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 7.7 percent during the month from an annual decline at 1.7 percent in the previous month.

In addition, slower annual increases were observed in the following indices during the month:

a) Corn, 1.6 percent from 2.9 percent;
b) Flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, 1.0 percent from 1.1 percent;
c) Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 5.4 percent from 7.7 percent;
d) Fruits and nuts, 0.1 percent from 4.1 percent; and
e) Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c., 1.7 percent from 3.5 percent.

Moreover, the index of sugar, confectionary and desserts recorded a faster annual decrement at 3.7 percent during the month from a 0.1 percent annual decrease in March 2025.

In contrast, higher inflation rate was noted in the index of milk, other dairy products and eggs at 9.1 percent in April 2025 from 8.2 percent in the previous month.

Furthermore, the index of oils and fats registered a slower annual decrement at 1.4 percent in April 2025 from an annual drop at 2.1 percent in the previous month.

2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

Food inflation share was at 76.6 percent or -2.6 percentage point to the April 2025 overall inflation for this particular income group.

The top three food groups in terms of contribution to 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 105.0 percent share or -5.8 percentage point;
b. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with 10.2 percent share or -0.6 percentage point; and
c. Fish and other seafood with 6.9 percent share or -0.4 percentage point.