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Josiah Antonia - The Philippine Star
February 6, 2026 | 12:00am
Food inflation slowed to 0.7 percent in January, down from 1.2 percent in December 2025, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
STAR / File
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) yesterday said that it is eyeing “supply fixes” as food inflation looms.
Food inflation slowed to 0.7 percent in January, down from 1.2 percent in December 2025, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The agency attributed the moderation to “fading holiday demand.”
“The January slowdown in food inflation was mainly driven by vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, which rose 3.3 percent year on year, easing sharply from 11.6 percent in December 2025,” the DA said in a statement.
Other food items showing slower price increases include corn, meat, seafood oils and fats. However, upward pressures intensified for bread and bakery products, dairy and eggs, fruits and nuts, and ready-made food, signaling potential risks ahead.
“The numbers are encouraging, but they’re not a signal to relax. We are looking very closely at how we manage food supply — from production to imports and distribution — because any slippage can quickly translate into higher prices that hurt consumers and weigh on overall economic activity,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
On the other hand, while the month-on-month inflation of rice stood at 3.4 percent, the grain was still 8.5 percent cheaper than a year earlier, reflecting the DA’s maximum suggested retail price policy on imported rice.
“The ceiling, first set at P58 per kilo last year, has since been reduced gradually to the current level of P43 per kilo,” DA said.
