MANILA — The Philippine government has rolled out coordinated measures to address the uptick in inflation and mitigate the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on households and key sectors of the economy, according to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev).
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported today (April 7) that the country’s headline inflation quickened to 4.1 percent in March 2026 from 2.4 percent in February 2026. The rise in inflation was primarily driven by faster inflation in both food and non-food commodities.
Non-food inflation rose to 4.9 percent (from 2.8 percent) in March 2026, with private transport inflation accelerating to 31.3 percent (from negative 3.1 percent) amid a surge in fuel prices. On the other hand, food inflation picked up (2.8 percent from 1.6 percent) as rice inflation rose to 3.6 percent after 14 months of deflation, alongside higher inflation in vegetables (6.9 percent from 6.1 percent) and fruits (5.1 percent from 3.8 percent).
“The government stands ready to address emerging inflation pressures through strategic, well-targeted, and time-bound interventions, particularly in fuel, transport, and food,” said DEPDev Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.
He stated that the issuance and operationalization of Executive Order No. 110, also known as the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT Committee), enable the government to identify these strategic measures.
To stabilize domestic fuel supply and ease transport costs, the government has already activated the emergency fuel procurement program, with 165.6 million liters of diesel secured for delivery through April. Meanwhile, toll rebates for public utility vehicles and cargo trucks are being rolled out on major expressways.
To protect consumers and ensure an adequate food supply, anti-hoarding guidelines have been issued to prevent artificial fuel shortages and maintain orderly distribution. The PHP20 rice program has been expanded nationwide, while logistics support has been deployed to transport vegetables from Benguet to Metro Manila. Reduced Ro-Ro terminal fees for vehicles carrying raw agricultural products will also help keep the movement of food items efficient and affordable.
To help cushion the impact of higher fuel costs, the government is also providing targeted assistance to vulnerable sectors, such as public utility vehicle drivers, farmers, and fisherfolk, through service contracting, cash assistance, and fuel subsidies.
“Our immediate priority is to ensure the safety of Filipinos abroad and to deploy timely and tangible solutions by providing critical support for the transport sector, commuters, and industries, while simultaneously diversifying the energy mix. The government is firmly committed to ensuring the continuous delivery of services, even as we pursue decisive measures to enhance the resilience of our economy and institutions, carefully balancing short-term relief measures and longer-term considerations toward enabling the economy to recover high growth quickly,” Balisacan said. PR