Lower food prices in February contributed to a drop in inflation to 2.1 percent for the month. This was slower than both central bank and market forecasts, and marked a significant decline from 2.9 percent in January.
Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto hailed the significant drop in inflation to 2.1 percent in February, marking the lowest rate since October 2024. He said the reduction provides vital relief to lower-income families, particularly on food prices. The bottom 30 percent income group's inflation rate fell to 1.5 percent, further easing the financial strain on vulnerable sectors.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez welcomed the unexpected deceleration in February inflation, calling it “great news for every Filipino family.” Inflation slowed to 2.1% in February, below the lower end of the central bank’s 2.2%-3.0% forecast, a sign the economic policies of the Marcos administration are working. “This proves that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s economic team is getting the job done,” he said. Romualdez said the administration is unwavering in its focus on stabilizing prices, ensuring food security, and protecting the purchasing power of Filipinos. The House of Representatives is fully supporting these efforts by passing laws to lower food costs, stabilize energy prices, and create more jobs. “The past few years have been tough, but numbers don’t lie—our economy is getting stronger,” Romualdez added. “This is the result of sound leadership, strong policies, and the resilience of the Filipino people.”
Inflation in the Philippines for February defied expectations, slowing to a lower-than-anticipated 2.1 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). This marked a significant drop from January’s 2.9 percent and was below the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) forecast range of 2.2 percent to 3 percent.
Moody’s Analytics said Filipino consumers should still reel from skyrocketing prices in the first six months this year as demand continues to outpace supply in the domestic market.
Chinese scholars' assertions over Batanes are fueling fresh concerns that Beijing may be laying the groundwork for future territorial claims, even without making an official declaration. SeaLight director Ray Powell said the narrative coincides with China Coast Guard patrols that have pushed east of Taiwan and into the Philippine Sea since June 1, expanding operations beyond the disputed West Philippine Sea and the first island chain. He warned that Batanes and the Bashi Channel hold strategic value in any Taiwan contingency. Former Surigao del Norte representative Robert “Ace” Barbers described the development as a “creeping invasion” and urged Filipinos not to amplify Beijing’s messaging.
Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya joined diplomats, government officials, and maritime experts yesterday to mark a decade since a landmark legal ruling on the South China Sea.
Ambassador Endo attended the special symposium on July 10, which was hosted by the Stratbase ADR Institute for Strategic and International Studies. The event allowed leaders and analysts to discuss the current state of regional waters exactly ten years after an international tribunal issued its decision in the case between the Philippines and China.
When Hidilyn Diaz won the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in 2021, most of the country's newest weightlifting sensations were still in grade school, some not even teenagers. Five years later, they are no longer just watching their hero. They are following her footsteps, one lift at a time.