INFLATION RATE

The inflation rate (IR) in Biliran Province decreased further to 1.1 percent in January 2025 which is lower by 0.8 percentage points than the recorded IR of 1.9 percent in December 2024. In January 2024, the IR was higher at 4.9 percent. (Figure 1)

The provincial IR of 1.1 percent in January 2025 is lower by 1.8 percentage points than the national IR of 2.9 percent. Moreover, it is also lower by 0.2 percentage points than the regional IR of 1.3 percent. (Table A)

Among the six (6) provinces and the lone Highly Urbanized City (HUC) in Eastern Visayas, Biliran recorded the third highest inflation rate in January 2025, along with Leyte. (Table A)

In January 2025, the province reported an IR of 1.1 percent. This refers to All Items or the provincial market basket which represents the goods and services commonly purchased by households in Biliran. (Table A)

The downtrend in the province’s inflation in January 2025 was primarily influenced by food and non-alcoholic beverages with an annual decrease of 0.9 percent from 1.1 percent annual increase in December 2024. Restaurants and accommodation services came in next with 3.6 percent during the month from 4.9 percent in the previous month. Also contributing to the downtrend was recreation, sport and culture with 8.4 percent from 8.8 percent. These commodity groups accounted for 92.7 percent, 6.1 percent, and 0.7 percent share to the downtrend in the inflation rate in the province, respectively. (Table 1)

The personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services also recorded lower inflation rate at 7.0 percent during the month from 7.1 percent in the previous month.

On the other hand, higher year-on-year price movements in January 2025 were observed in the following commodity groups (Table 1):

a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 2.5 percent from 2.2 percent;
b. Clothing and footwear at 6.4 percent from 6.2 percent;
c. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance at 6.6 percent from 5.8 percent; and
d. Health at 3.5 percent from 3.4 percent.

Meanwhile, the following commodity group retained their previous month’s respective annual rates (Table 1):

a. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 0.3 percent;
b. Information and communication at 2.7 percent; and
c. Education services at 0.0 percent.

The transport group recorded an annual increase of 1.4 percent in January 2025 from an annual decrease of 0.7 percent in December 2024. In addition, financial services recorded zero percent inflation during the month from an annual decrease of 0.1 percent in the previous month.

Food inflation in the province recorded an annual decline of 1.5 percent in January 2025 from 0.7 percent annual increase in December 2024. The deceleration of food inflation rate in January 2025 was mainly influenced by cereals and cereal products with an annual decrease of 6.7 percent during the month from 0.1 percent annual increase in December 2024. This was followed by fish and other seafood with faster annual decline of 4.9 percent during the month from an annual decrease of 2.1 percent in the previous month. Fruits and nuts also contributed to the downtrend with 5.0 percent inflation during the month from 10.2 percent inflation in the previous month. (Table 1)

Rice, the central commodity of Filipinos, exhibited faster annual decrease in its inflation rate at 9.1 percent in January 2025 from an annual decrease of 0.6 percent in December 2024. The flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products and other cereals also recorded lower inflation rate at 3.0 percent during the month from 3.1 percent in the previous month.

On the contrary, higher annual growth rates during the month were observed in the following
food items:

a. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals at 4.2 percent from 1.1 percent;
b. Milk, other dairy products and eggs at 4.8 percent from 3.0 percent;
c. Oils and fats at 4.3 percent from 3.3 percent;
d. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 9.0 percent from 0.2 percent;
e. Sugar, confectionery and desserts at 1.3 percent from 0.3 percent; and
f. Ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified at 8.9 percent from 7.6 percent.

Meanwhile, only the corn retained its inflation rate from the previous month at an annual decrease of 4.1 percent.

The non-food category in general recorded faster growth of 2.9 percent during the month from 2.6 percent in the previous month. (Table 1)

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in January 2025 was recorded at 122.6 percent. This implies that the average level of prices of consumer food and services purchased by households in January 2025 was higher by 22.6 percent compared with the prices in 2018. (Table 2)

Moreover, the provincial CPI in January 2025 is lower by 3.5 percentage points and 5.8 percentage points than the regional and national CPI levels, respectively. (Table A)

Ten (10) of the 13 commodity groups observed increase in its CPI levels in January 2025. These groups are food and non-alcoholic beverages; alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance; health; transport; information and communication; recreation, sport and culture; restaurants and accommodation services; and personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services. 

Only the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels group recorded lower CPI level in January 2025 at 115.4 percent from 118.1 percent in the previous month.

Meanwhile, the rest of the commodity groups retained its previous month’s CPI levels.

By commodity group, the financial services still posted the highest CPI level at 162.2 percent. This was followed by the transport group and the food and non-alcoholic beverages group with CPI levels of 129.0 percent and 125.7 percent, respectively. On the other hand, the information and communication group recorded the least CPI with 106.6 percent. (Table 2)

In general, the CPI of the food index increased to 125.4 percent during the month from 123.0 percent in the previous month.

During the month, the following food items observed higher CPI levels:

a. Flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products and other cereals at 119.5 percent from 119.2 percent;
b. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals at 145.2 percent from 140.8 percent;
c. Fish and other seafood at 126.7 percent from 119.6 percent;
d. Milk, other dairy products and eggs at 124.6 percent from 121.7 percent;
e. Oils and fats at 126.4 percent from 125.2 percent;
f. Fruits and nuts at 147.8 percent from 144.2 percent;
g. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 145.0 percent from 130.8 percent; and
h. Ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified at 133.5 percent from 132.7 percent.

In contrast, lower CPI levels were observed in rice, and in sugar, confectionery and desserts at 109.5 percent and 144.5 percent from its previous CPI levels of 112.4 percent and 144.7 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, only the corn retained its CPI level from the previous month at 124.4 percent. 

The non-food category recorded lower CPI level at 119.7 percent in January 2025 from 119.9 percent in December 2024. (Table 2)

PURCHASING POWER OF PESO (PPP)

The price changes reflected in the CPI caused the value of the national currency in Biliran to have a value of Php 0.82. This PPP implies that the goods and services worth Php 1.00 in 2018 is now worth Php 0.82 in January 2025 or you will need Php 122.6 to buy the same goods and services worth Php 100 in 2018. (Table A and Figure 2)

Approved for release:

SGD. RENAVIL V. CUEVA

Chief Statistical Specialist