THE country’s inflation rate accelerated to 4.1 percent in March 2026, up from 2.4 percent in February, driven mainly by higher transport and food prices, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
This brings the first-quarter average inflation to 2.8 percent higher than the 1.8 percent recorded in March 2025.
Transport costs led the surge, swinging to a 9.9 percent increase from a decline in February, while food and non-alcoholic beverages rose faster at three percent.
Central Visayas remained the region with the highest inflation at 7.4 percent while the Negros Island Region posted the lowest at 1.5 percent. (KOC)