February inflation slows to 2.1%

Inflation in February eased to 2.1 percent from 2.9 percent in January, primarily due to the slower price increase of food and non-alcoholic beverages, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

In a recent press briefing, PSA Assistant Secretary Divina Gracia del Prado attributed the decline to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) declaration of a food security emergency, which helped lower rice prices.

“For me, I think, we are seeing the effect of food security emergency in our inflation… Because of this food security emergency, we have released the rice buffer from NFA (National Food Authority) to LGUs (local government units), and of course in Kadiwa Rice for All program,” del Prado said.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages, which accounted for 58.8 percent of overall inflation, saw inflation drop to 2.6 percent from 3.8 percent in January. Rice, in particular, posted a sharper deflation of 4.9 percent, while cereal and cereal products recorded a 3 percent deflation. Vegetable inflation also plunged to 7.1 percent from 21.1 percent.

Other factors contributing to lower inflation included housing, water, gas, and other fuels, which slowed to 1.6 percent from 2.2 percent in January, and transport, which posted a 0.2 percent deflation from a 1.1 percent inflation rate.

Meanwhile, major contributors to inflation included rising pork prices, which saw inflation rise to 12.1 percent from 8.4 percent, as well as higher costs in restaurants, cafés, rentals, and passenger transport by sea.

In a separate statement, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan assured the public that the government remains committed to controlling inflation through targeted policies and programs.

“The government will sustain its efforts to keep inflation low and manageable to protect the purchasing power of Filipinos. As we expect six to 13 typhoons to develop from March to August 2025, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will implement the La Niña action plan to restore agricultural productive capacity in areas likely to be affected by continuous rainfall, flooding, and landslides,” Balisacan said.

“The action plan includes water management, financial assistance and credit support, and a massive information campaign on La Niña,” he added.

Balisacan also highlighted the DA’s intensified efforts to combat African swine fever, including fast-tracking the collection of post-vaccination results from 28 hog farms for submission to the Food and Drug Administration.

For the medium term, NEDA noted that the Department of Science and Technology is funding the Brisk Response through In-location Diagnostics and Genomic Sequencing System for Animal Disease Testing and Vaccine Research Project, which is set for completion by August 2026.