Targeted efforts by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to manage the supply and pricing of key food items, particularly rice, sugar, and corn, are helping protect the poorest Filipino households from the brunt of inflation, even as overall consumer prices rise.
The Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Tuesday that inflation for the country’s bottom 30 percent income group remained in deflation, albeit easing to –0.2 percent in September from –0.6 percent in August. For the January–September period, this segment saw average inflation at just 0.3 percent, offering a cushion amid broader price pressures.
In contrast, headline inflation for all households accelerated to 1.7 percent in September, marking the fastest pace in six months and up from 1.5 percent in August. Food inflation was mainly driven by weather-related disruptions to vegetable supply.
Despite these challenges, rice prices are acting as a stabilizing force, with continued double-digit deflation. In September, food and non-alcoholic beverages for low-income households recorded –2 percent inflation, with rice prices dropping by 19.1 percent year-on-year, corn by 8.7 percent, and sugar by 0.8 percent.
Economic Planning Undersecretary and National Statistician Dennis Mapa cautioned that weather-related supply issues could sustain inflationary pressure into October.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government is taking steps to maintain price stability by importing vegetables and fish to supplement supply. Despite extending a rice import ban through the year-end, the DA has maintained price ceilings and expanded the distribution of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ‘s P20 rice program in areas hit by calamities.
Officials emphasized the need for continued vigilance, as the DA’s interventions help strike a fragile balance between rising national inflation and maintaining affordability for the most vulnerable sectors.
