PANGASINAN

1.    Headline Inflation

Inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households in the Philippines eased to 1.1 percent in March 2025 from 1.5 percent in February 2025. This brings the country's average inflation rate for 2025 to 1.7_percent. The inflation rate of the country in March 2024 was posted at 4.6 percent. (Table A)

Similarly, the inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households in Ilocos Region slowed down to 2.0 percent in March 2025 from 2.4_percent in February 2025, bringing the region’s average inflation rate for 2025 to 2.4 percent. The inflation rate of the region in March 2024 stood at 4.0 percent.

Inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households in Pangasinan accelerated to 2.1 percent in March 2025 from 2.0 percent in February 2025. The average inflation in the province for 2025 was recorded at 2.3_percent. Inflation rate in the province in March 2024 was posted at 4.3_percent. (Figure 1 and Table B)

1.1 Main Drivers to the Upward Trend of Overall Inflation

The upward trend was primarily driven by faster year-on-year increase in the index for Food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose to 2.6 percent in March 2025 from 2.2 percent in February 2025. Also contributing to the overall inflation was Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, which increased to 1.2 percent from 1.0 percent in February 2025.  (Table C)

Meanwhile, the following commodity groups recorded lower inflation rates during the month:
(a)    Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 0.7 percent;
(b)    Clothing and footwear, 3.1 percent;
(c)    Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 0.9 percent;
(d)    Health, 1.5 percent;
(e)    Transport, -1.4 percent;
(f)     Information and communication, -0.4 percent;
(g)     Recreation, sport and culture, 3.9 percent;
(h)     Restaurants and accommodation services, 2.9 percent; and
(i)    Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, 3.9 percent.

The indices of Education services and Financial services retained their respective previous month’s inflation rates.

1.2 Main Contributors to the Headline Inflation

The top three commodity groups contributing to the overall inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households in Pangasinan for March 2025 were:
(a)    Food and non-alcoholic beverages, with a 61.0 percent share;
(b)    Restaurants and accommodation services. with an 18.7 percent share; and
(c)    Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, with a 9.9 percent share.

2. Food Inflation

The food inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households at the provincial level in March 2025 was reported at 2.7 percent from 2.2_percent in February 2025. Meanwhile, food inflation was recorded at 8.6 percent in March 2024. (Table D)

2.1 Main Drivers to the Upward Trend of Food Inflation

The upward trend of food inflation in March 2025 was primarily influenced by the faster year-on-year increase in the index of Fish and other seafood at 10.0 percent from 5.8_percent in February 2025. (Table D)

Additionally, higher inflation rates were observed in the following food groups during the month:

(a)     Corn, 10.5 percent;
(b)     Milk, other dairy products and eggs, 1.8 percent; 
(c)     Oils and fats, 0.1 percent;
(d)     Fruits and nuts, 19.6 percent;
(e)     Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, 13.1_percent; and
(f)     Sugar, confectionery and desserts, 0.9 percent.

Conversely, the following food groups recorded lower annual growth rates in their indices during the month:

(a)     Rice, -5.6 percent; 
(b)     Flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, 0.9 percent;
(c)     Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 7.5 percent; and
(d)     Ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified, 4.7 percent.

2.2 Main Contributors to Food Inflation

Food inflation contributed 58.7 percent to the overall inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households of the province in March 2025. The top three food groups in terms of contribution to food inflation during the month were:
(a)    Fish and other seafood, with a 59.4 percent share;
(b)    Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, with a 41.3_percent share; and
(c)    Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses, with a 35.6 percent share.

(SGD) EDGAR M. NORBERTE
Chief Statistical Specialist
Pangasinan Provincial Statistical Office