Samar’s inflation rate slightly recovers to -0.8% in May 2025 

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index
*Year-on-year changes of average CPI for May 2024 vs May 2025

The inflation rate of Samar Province slightly improved, rising from negative 0.9 percent in April 2025 to negative 0.8 percent in May 2025. This represents a 4.6-percentage point decrease compared to May 2024. The year-to-date inflation rate stands at negative 0.3 percent, which is 1.2 percentage points lower than the regional average. (Figure 1)
 

Top Three Commodity Groups Driving Samar’s Inflation Rate Acceleration

The slight improvement in the province’s inflation rate was mainly driven by faster price increases in the following major commodity groups:

a. Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages, which accounted for 84.5 percent of the inflation, recorded a negative 2.6 inflation rate – an increase of 0.4 percentage points from the previous month.

b. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels, contributing 13.7 percent, recorded an inflation rate of 0.3 percent, up from 0.1 percent in the previous month. The increase was primarily attributed to faster price hikes in electricity, gas, and other fuels.

c. Health, with a 1.7 percent share, registered an inflation rate of 3.0 percent, slightly higher than the 2.8 percent recorded in the previous month. This was mainly due to the rising prices of medicines and health products. 

However, five commodity groups observed a downward trend namely: Recreation, Sports and Culture (1.1%); Transport (0.6%); Personal care, Miscellaneous Goods and Services (0.6%); Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (0.1%); and Restaurants and Accommodation Services (0.0%).

Inflation rate refers to the overall increase in prices over a specific period. It reflects the speed at which prices change between two time periods. Contrary to popular belief, low inflation does not necessarily mean that prices are decreasing; rather, it indicates that prices are still rising but a slower pace. This rate is derived from Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Food Inflation

The inflation rate for Food slightly improved, from negative 3.4 percent in April 2025 to negative 3.0 percent in May 2025.  (Figure 2)

Main Drivers of the Upward Trend in Food Inflation

The upward trend in Food Inflation in May 2025 was primarily attributed to faster price increases in the following Food sub-commodity groups:

1. Vegetables, Tubers, Plantains, Cooking Bananas and Pulses (ND), from 3.3 percent to 11.1 percent;
2. Fish and Other Seafood, from 6.9 percent to 7.1 percent;
3. Milk, Other Dairy Products and Eggs (ND), from 1.0 percent to 2.8 percent;
4. Sugar, Confectionery and Desserts (ND), from negative 4.0 percent to negative 2.7 percent; and
5. Oils and fats (ND), from negative 0.5 percent to 0.3 percent.

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index
*Year-on-year changes of average CPI for April 2025 vs May 2025

The following Food sub-commodity groups showed decelerated inflation rates in May 2025 compared to the previous month:

1. Cereals and Cereal Products, from negative 13.6 percent in April 2025 to negative 15.1 percent in May 2025.
2. Meat and Other Parts of Slaughtered Land and Animals decreased by 0.9 percentage points from 9.4 percent in April 2025 to 8.5 percent in May 2025. 
3. Fruits and Nuts decreased from negative 10.5 percent in April to negative 12.3 percent in May. 
4. Ready-made Food and Other Food Products, from 2.9 percent in April to 2.5 percent in May.
 

Consumer Price Index

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) slightly declined, from 127.8 in April to 127.7 in May 2025. This reflects a 27.7 percent increase in the overall basket of goods compared to the 2018 base year and a 1.0 percent decrease relative to the same month in the previous year. (Figure 3)

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index
*Year-on-year changes of average CPI for May 2024 vs May 2025

Purchasing Power of the Peso (PPP) remains at 0.78 in May 2025

The Purchasing Power of the Peso (PPP) in Samar remained at 78 centavos in May 2025, indicating that one peso in 2018 is now equivalent to only 78 centavos. (Figure 4)

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index
*Year-on-year changes of average CPI for May 2024 vs May 2025

Table 1. Consumer Price Index and Inflation Rate for All Income 
Households in Samar by Commodity
April 2025 – May 2025
(2018=100)
 

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Retail Price Survey of Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index
*Year-on-year changes of average CPI for May 2024 vs May 2025

TECHNICAL NOTES

Base Period – it is a reference period, usually a year, at which the index number is set to 100. It is the reference point of the index number series.
 

Consumer Price Index – is an indicator of the change in the average retail prices of a fixed basket of goods and services commonly purchased by an average Filipino household. It shows how much on the average, prices of goods and services have increased or decreased from a particular reference period known as a base year. The formula used in computing the CPI is the weighted arithmetic mean of price relatives, a variant of the Laspeyres formula with fixed base year period weights as shown below:

Headline Inflation – measures changes in the cost of living based on movements in the price of a specified basket of major commodities. It refers to the annual rate of change or the year-on—year changes in the CPI.
 

Inflation Rate – refers to the annual rate of change or the year-on-year changes of the CPI expressed in percent. Inflation is interpreted in terms of declining purchasing power of money. Inflation rate is computed as:

Market Basket – For CPI purposes, market basket is a term used to refer to a sample of goods and services that are commonly purchased and bought by an average Filipino household.
 

Price – The amount or value paid in exchange for the commodity or a service rendered. 

Purchasing Power of the Peso (PPP) – Shows how much the peso in the base period is worth in the current period. It is computed as the reciprocal of the CPI for the period under review multiplied by 100.

Retail/Consumer Price – Refers to the price at which a commodity is sold in small quantities for consumption. 
 

Unit of Measure – Refers to which a commodity is customarily traded in the market. The unit of measure is used as the basis for pricing for consistency and to prevent misunderstanding between the price collector and the respondent. 
 

Weight – A value attached to a commodity or group of commodities to indicate the relative importance of that commodity or group of commodities in the market basket. 
 

RIZA N. MORALETA
Chief Statistical Specialist