PANGASINAN

1.    Headline Inflation 

Inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households in the Philippines slowed down to 1.5 percent in February 2025 from 2.4 percent in January 2025. This brings the country's average inflation rate for 2025 to 2.0_percent. The inflation rate of the country in February 2024 was posted at 4.2 percent. (Table A)

Similarly, the inflation rate in Ilocos Region decelerated to 2.4 percent in February 2025 from 3.0 percent in January 2025, bringing the region’s average inflation rate for 2025 to 2.7 percent. The inflation rate of the region in February 2024 stood at 3.9 percent.

Headline inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households in Pangasinan eased to 2.0 percent in February 2025 from 2.6 percent in January 2025. The average inflation in the province for 2025 was recorded at 2.3 percent. Inflation rate in the province in February 2024 was posted at 4.5 percent. (Figure 1 and Table B)

1.1 Main Factors to the Downward Trend of Headline Inflation

The downward trend was primarily caused by the slower year-on-year increase in the index of Food and non-alcoholic beverages, which declined to 2.2 percent in February 2025 from 3.9 percent in January 2025. (Table C)

Also contributing to the decreasing inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households of the province during the month were:

(a)   Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, 4.4 percent;
(b)   Clothing and footwear, 3.8 percent;
(c)   Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 1.6 percent;
(d)   Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 0.8 percent;
(e)   Transport, -0.7 percent;
(f)    Health, 1.7 percent, and
(g)   Recreation, sport and culture, 4.2 percent.

In contrast, the following commodity groups recorded faster inflation rates during the month:

(a)    Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 1.0 percent, and
(b)    Restaurants and accommodation services, 3.1 percent.

Meanwhile, the inflation rates for the following commodity groups remained unchanged from the previous month:

(a)    Information and communication, 0.0 percent;
(b)    Education services, 0.2 percent, and
(c)    Financial services, 0.0 percent.

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 February 2025 were:

(a)    Food and non-alcoholic beverages with 51.2 percent share;
(b)    Restaurants and accommodation services with 22.7 percent share, and
(c)    Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services with 12.3_percent share.

2.    Food Inflation

The food inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households at the provincial level in February 2025 was reported at 2.2 percent from 3.9_percent in January 2025. Meanwhile, food inflation was recorded at 9.5 percent in February 2024. (Table D)

2.1 Main Contributors to the Downward Trend of Food Inflation

The downward trend of food inflation in February 2025 was primarily influenced by the slower year-on-year increase in the index of Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 5.9 percent from 35.7_percent in January 2025.

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

(a)   Rice, -3.1 percent;
(b)   Corn, 8.9 percent;
(c)   Flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, 1.1 percent;
(d)   Milk, other dairy products and eggs, 1.6 percent;
(e)   Oils and fats, -0.9 percent; 
(f)    Sugar, confectionery and desserts, -1.8 percent, and
(g)   Ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified, 5.8 percent.

Conversely, the inflation rates for the following food groups reported an increase during the month:

(a)    Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 8.7 percent; 
(b)    Fish and other seafood, 5.8 percent, and 
(c)    Fruits and nuts, 8.8 percent.

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