CENTRAL Visayas recorded the highest inflation among areas outside the National Capital Region (AONCR) in October 2025, at 2.6 percent, even as the national headline rate stayed flat at 1.7 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.
In September, the region also logged the highest inflation among AONCR at 4.1 percent.
The uptick in October for the region was driven mainly by faster increases in prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 3.6 percent from three percent, followed by housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (3.1 percent from 2.8 percent) and health (1.6 percent from 1.4 percent).
Unchanged
Nationwide, inflation remained unchanged from September’s 1.7 percent, slower than the 2.3 percent posted a year earlier. The steady rate reflected mixed price movements across commodity groups — with faster increases in housing, utilities, and personal care, offset by slower food and transport prices.
The October inflation outturn is within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) forecast range of 1.4 to 2.2 percent.
In AONCR, inflation eased to 1.3 percent from 1.5 percent in the previous month, dragged by slower increases in food and non-alcoholic beverages (0.2 percent from 0.7 percent). Despite this, Central Visayas bucked the trend, maintaining the highest rate among all regions, followed by Western Visayas and Northern Mindanao.
The PSA said the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels group contributed most to overall inflation, accounting for 34.6 percent of the 1.7 percent headline rate. This was followed by restaurants and accommodation services (14.6 percent share) and food and non-alcoholic beverages (13 percent share).
Food inflation nationwide slowed further to 0.3 percent in October from 0.8 percent in September, as prices of vegetables and meat rose at a slower pace. Rice and corn prices also posted sharper annual declines, while fish and oil prices saw slight upticks.
Meanwhile, inflation in Metro Manila accelerated to 2.9 percent from 2.7 percent, driven by higher housing and utilities costs. Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy items, eased slightly to 2.5 percent from 2.6 percent in the previous month.
Stable inflation
In a statement, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the stable inflation rate reflects the government’s proactive measures to manage supply conditions and shield Filipino families from potential price pressures.
“The steady headline inflation rate shows that our coordinated interventions are helping to maintain adequate supplies and keep essential goods affordable,” Balisacan said. “We remain vigilant in managing risks from weather disturbances, global market volatility, and other domestic factors that may affect prices in the coming months.”
To cushion short-term supply disruptions, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has authorized the importation of selected vegetables affected by recent weather events. Over the longer term, the DA is focusing on farm-to-market roads, rice-processing plants, and agri-food hubs to improve supply chain efficiency and reduce post-harvest losses.
Meanwhile, the Department of Energy (DOE) is accelerating the rollout of electric vehicle infrastructure and renewable energy integration in partnership with the Government of Japan, as part of broader efforts to reduce dependence on imported fuels and promote sustainable growth.
Outlook
According to the BSP, inflation is projected to average below the low end of the target range in 2025, largely due to the easing of rice prices in previous months. The outlook for inflation remains benign, expected to stay within the three percent ± 1.0 percentage point target range for 2026 and 2027.
The central bank noted that while potential electricity rate adjustments and possible increases in tariffs on rice imports could add some upward pressures, overall price risks remain limited amid stabilizing global commodity prices.
The Monetary Board also said the outlook for domestic economic growth has weakened, reflecting softer business confidence linked to governance concerns over public infrastructure spending and signs of slowing demand amid external uncertainties. / KOC