Benise Balaoing

Residents of Bgy. 105 in Tondo, Manila redeem food items from the Kadiwa Market set up by the Department of Agriculture in line with the Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program on May 28, 2024. The Department of Social Welfare and Development, supported by the World Food Program and the Asian Development Bank, distributed food stamps worth P3,000 to each family, which were then used to buy different items in the market. The government aims to reach around 1 million of the poorest Filipinos in the hunger alleviation program. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17570459689292025090502098_59e798ed3d99c4b54b664d45bac2040f05e5487f85a6e687d72adb15cc9b7cff.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Residents of Bgy. 105 in Tondo, Manila redeem food items from the Kadiwa Market set up by the Department of Agriculture in line with the Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program on May 28, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATE) </strong>— Inflation quickened to 1.5 percent in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Friday, as storms that battered parts of the country pulled up the prices of vegetables.</p><p>National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said food prices nationwide climbed 0.9 percent on the back of vegetable prices soaring by 10 percent.</p><p>Fish and seafood prices, meanwhile, also jumped 9.5 percent, he noted.</p><p>“Dahil ito sa mga bagyo, ine-expect naman natin na talagang magkakaroon ng pagtaas ng ating presyo sa vegetables,” Mapa told a press conference.</p><p>“Nakikita natin na pag may mga bagyo at nagkakaroon ng baha sa ating mga lands na nag-produce ng products like vegetables, yun talaga yung unang tinatamaan,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/In-08g8q7H8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Mapa also said there was a slower decrease in transportation costs. In particular, gasoline prices only slowed down by 6.1 percent in August, after slowing by 10 percent in July.</p><p>Diesel prices also fell by a slower 0.8 percent, after dropping by 5.6 percent in July.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RICE INFLATION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The official noted, however, that rice inflation has fallen by 17 percent year-on-year. Mapa said he sees rice prices staying low.</p><p>“Although yung number siguro, in terms of the negative inflation for September, October, November ay baka bumagal nang onti sa -17 percent, ang isang dahilan ay yung base effect,” he said.</p><p>Mapa noted that rice inflation in August last year was at 14.7 percent for rice, but had dropped to 5.7 percent in September.</p><p>Asked if inflation may start climbing for the rest of the year, Mapa said food prices remain an upside risk.</p><p>“Nakikita kasi natin na may mga items tayo sa food basket…ito yung meat, fish, and vegetables. ‘Pag cinombine kasi sila, medyo substantial na yung kanilang  weight. So nakikita natin meron tayong pagtaas sa presyo.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/8/5/inflation-slows-to-less-than-1-percent-in-july-0909">Inflation slows to less than 1 percent in July</a></div><p>“Yung ating meat, mataas pa rin, although bumaba na siya kung ico-compare natin na year-on-year,” he noted.</p><p>“So ito yung mga risk kasi nakikita natin even in the past months, tumataas na itong presyo na to at nagcocontroibute positively of course doon sa ating inflation rate. Nao-offset lang siya nung negative impact ng price of rice and other items,” he explained.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>TARGET</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Government hopes to keep inflation within the 2 to 4 percent target range this year. </p><p>The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it sees inflation settling below the low-end of the target range in 2025, mainly because of the continued easing of rice prices.</p><p>Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, meanwhile, said government needs to prepare for the impact of typhoons and make sure there is enough food supply to protect Filipinos from price volatility.</p><p>“While inflation remains broadly manageable, the recent figures highlight how adverse weather conditions directly impact prices,” Balisacan said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2-TMKT8apWQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Inflation quickened to 1.5 percent in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority said. </p>

Inflation quickened to 1.5 percent in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

Inflation picks up in August as storms drive veggie prices upward

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Inflation picks up in August as storms drive veggie prices upward

Benise Balaoing,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 05, 2025 09:11 AM PHT

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Updated Sep 12, 2025 05:24 PM PHT

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