A. General Santos City

1. Overall Inflation

General Santos City’s inflation rate for the bottom 30% income households registered an annual decline of 0.9 percent in February 2025 from an annual increase of 0.8 percent in January 2025.  In February 2024, the city’s inflation rate was higher at 5.0 percent. (Figure 1, Tables A and B)

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 February 2025 was primarily brought about by the annual decline in food and non-alcoholic beverages at 1.1 percent from 1.0 percent annual increase in January 2025. The index of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels showed an annual decrease of 2.5 percent during the month from 0.2 percent annual increment in the previous month. Transport also posted a 1.5 percent annual decrease in February 2025 from an annual increase of 0.1 percent in January 2025.

In addition, lower annual rates were observed in the indices of the following commodity groups during the month:

a) Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 1.5 percent from 2.9 percent; and
b) Recreation, sport and culture, 2.6 percent from 3.0 percent.

Annual decrement was observed in the index if health at 0.1 percent in February 2025 from 0.1 percent annual increment in January 2025.

In contrast, higher inflation rate was observed in the index of personal care and miscellaneous goods and services at 1.7 percent in February 2025 from 1.5 percent in the previous month.

The rest of the commodity groups maintained their previous month’s inflation rates as follows:

a) Clothing and footwear, at 1.2 percent;
b) Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, at -0.2 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 contributing to the February 2025 overall inflation for the bottom 30% income households were the following:

a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages with 60.7 percent share or -0.6 percentage point; and
b. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels with 43.3 percent share or -0.4 percentage point; and
c. Transport with 15.1 percent share or 0.1 percentage point.

2. Food Inflation

Food inflation for the bottom 30% income households in General Santos City posted a year-on-year decline of 1.4 percent in February 2025 from 0.9 percent annual increment in the previous month. In January 2024, the city’s food inflation was higher at 7.0 percent.

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

The city’s deceleration of food inflation for the bottom 30% income households in February 2025 was due to the faster annual decrement in the index of rice with an annual decline of 9.5 percent from an annual decline of 4.2 percent in January 2025. This was followed by vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with a year-on-year decline of 0.5 percent during the month from the annual increase of 7.5 percent in January 2025. Slower annual decline was also noted in fish and other seafood index at 0.2 percent in February 2025 from 1.3 percent annual increment in the previous month.

Slower annual increments were observed in the indices of corn at 3.8 percent during the month from 3.9 percent in January 2025 and ready-made food and other food products n.e.c at 3.4 percent during the month from 4.4 percent in the previous month.

The index of oils and fats recorded a slower annual decrement of 1.7 percent during the month from a 1.6 percent annual decrease in January 2025.

In contrast, higher inflation rates during the month in this particular income group were recorded in the indices of the following:

a) Flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, 1.0 percent from 0.9 percent;
b) Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 8.8 percent from 6.7percent; 
c) Milk, other dairy products and eggs, 6.9 percent from 5.7 percent; and
d) Fruits and nuts, 7.4 percent from 4.0 percent.

Moreover, the index of sugar, confectionery and desserts showed a slower annual decrement of 0.6 percent in February 2025 from an annual decrease of 3.5 percent in the previous month.

2.2 Main Contributors to the Food Inflation

Food inflation shared 67.5 percent or -0.6 percentage point to the February 2025 overall inflation for this particular income group.

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 186.2 percent share or -2.6 percentage point; 
b. Fish and other seafood with 2.0 percent share or 0.0 percentage point; and
c. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with 1.9 percent share or 0.0 percentage point.