MANILA – The government will continue to implement strategies to safeguard the purchasing power of Filipinos as the country’s inflation rate continued to decline in March 2025, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported today (April 4) that the country’s headline inflation rate eased further to 1.8 percent in March, from 2.1 percent in February. This marks the lowest headline inflation rate since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020 when inflation was recorded at 1.6 percent.
This decline was driven by slower inflation in both food (2.3% from 2.6%) and non-food (1.4% from 1.6%) items.
The easing of food inflation was primarily due to the faster year-on-year decline in rice, which decelerated to -7.7 percent in March 2025 from -4.9 percent in February 2025, as well as in meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (from 8.8 percent to 8.2 percent) and vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses (from 7.1 percent to 6.9 percent).
“The continued decline in inflation indicates the effectiveness of the government’s proactive measures to stabilize prices and protect the purchasing power of Filipino households. While the inflation rate continues to ease and remain within the target range, we commit to monitoring risks and shocks, particularly on anticipated electricity rate hikes and higher prices of fish and meat, and addressing them through timely and targeted interventions,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said.
Furthermore, the government will be vigilant regarding the potential implications of the recently issued Executive Order by United States President Donald Trump on tariff increases.
“With or without the trade policy changes in the US, maintaining sound macroeconomic fundamentals, improving the ease of doing business, maximizing existing trade agreements, and forging new partnerships are still the most important strategies we can pursue to ensure that we protect the purchasing power of Filipinos and promote rapid, sustained, and inclusive growth,” Balisacan said.
In light of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration reporting a weakening of La Niña conditions, the government remains proactive in addressing the impact of climate change on vulnerable sectors. The Insurance Commission and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance insurance services for the agricultural sector against crop losses resulting from natural calamities, pests, and diseases.
To stabilize pork prices in Metro Manila, Food Terminals Inc., a state-owned corporation under the Department of Agriculture (DA), has signed a memorandum of agreement with the local branch of Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC (CP Foods). Concurrently, the Department of Science and Technology is monitoring a project by the Industrial Technology Development Institute under the Virology and Vaccine Research Program that aims to develop a real-time polymerase chain reaction protocol for fast, affordable, and onsite detection of the African Swine Fever virus to enhance biosecurity measures and disease control.
In addition, the DA and the National Housing Authority (NHA) signed a memorandum of understanding to establish Kadiwa Stores in NHA housing projects. The DA will provide logistical and technical support to facilitate the program’s implementation.
“Banking on the positive results of our short- and long-term initiatives to address inflationary pressures, the government will continue focusing on implementing policies to ensure that every Filipino benefits from a stable and resilient economy,” Balisacan emphasized.
