Headline Inflation

The Batangas Province headline or overall inflation retained the 1.2 inflation rate in three consecutive months. This brings the provincial average January to May 2025 to 1.5 percent. In May 2024, the inflation rate was higher at 3.5 percent.   (Table 1 and Figure 1)

On the other hand, Region IV-A CALABARZON decreased to 1.6 percent in May 2025 from 1.7 in April 2025.   In CALABARZON, the Province of Quezon ranked first with the highest inflation rate at 2.5 percent in May 2025. It was followed by the provinces of Laguna and Quezon at second with 2.2 percent, and Batangas at 1.2 percent in third. The Province of Cavite remained the lowest inflation rate at 0.6 percent in May 2025. 

Moreover, the Philippines’ overall inflation slowed down further to 1.3 percent in May 2025 from1.4 percent in April 2025.  In May 2024, the inflation rate was higher at 3.9 percent (Table 1). 

The top three commodity groups contributing to the May 2025 overall inflation of 1.2 percent were the following:

1. a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages with 52.6 percent share or 0.63 percentage point

2. b. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 25.7 percent share or 0.31 percentage point

3. c. Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco with 15.1 percent share or 0.18 percentage points

Food Inflation

Batangas’ food inflation slightly increased to 1.8 percent in May 2025 from 1.7 percent in the previous month.  In May 2024, food inflation was higher at 4.4 percent. (Table 3)

The acceleration of food inflation in May 2025 was primarily brought about by the faster year-on-year increase of vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 4.9 percent in May 2025 from (0.3) percent in the previous month. This was followed by the higher increase in meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals at 13.2 percent in May 2025 from 11.8 percent in the previous month. 

Moreover, higher inflation rates were observed in the following indices during the month:

1. a. Oils and fats, 41.8 percent from 27.5 percent

2. b. Cereals and cereal products, (7.7) percent from (8.1) percent

3. c. Fruits and nuts, 13.9 percent from 13.5 percent

Food inflation shared 44.5 percent or 0.53 percentage points to the overall inflation in May 2025. The top three food groups in terms of contribution to the food inflation during the month were the following:

   a. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals with a share of 161.6 percent or 2.91 percentage                point

   b. Oils and fats with a share of 35.9 percent or 0.65 percentage point

   c. Fruits and nuts with a share of 28.8 percent or 0.52 percentage point