THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Northern Mindanao remains optimistic about maintaining the region’s grip on inflation, with the upcoming P20-per-kilo rice program expected to play a pivotal role in long-term price stability.
While the region’s inflation rate held steady at 0.0 percent in May 2025, officials say the government’s affordable rice initiative is essential to keeping consumer prices in check.
“The availability of affordable rice is a key factor in ensuring the sustained easing of inflation in the coming months,” said PSA Regional Director Janeth C. Aves.
She noted that if the program is implemented effectively and other economic sectors remain stable, Northern Mindanao could see continued relief from inflationary pressures.
The flat inflation rate in May was largely driven by a drop in prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages, which recorded a -2.6 percent inflation rate, down from -2.0 percent in April.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) echoed the PSA’s positive outlook, emphasizing the importance of increasing food supply to further temper inflation.
“We’re focusing on production support because, under the economic theory of supply and demand, the more supply we have, the lower the prices will be,” said DA Supervising Agriculturist Ferdinand F. Caraballe.
Caraballe said the DA is expanding support for local farmers by enhancing irrigation systems, opening new agricultural lands, and promoting improved farming methods and technologies.
Beyond food, other sectors also contributed to the easing inflation. Inflation in restaurants and accommodation services declined to 4.2 percent in May from 4.5 percent in April, while the transport sector saw a dip from -0.6 percent to -0.8 percent.
Despite the positive data, both the PSA and DA warned that challenges remain — especially from climate change, which threatens agricultural output through erratic weather and shifting pest patterns.
Still, with the current inflation under control and the rollout of the low-cost rice initiative on the horizon, officials are cautiously optimistic that economic relief is within reach for residents in the region.
“The success of the P20 (per) kilo rice program will be critical to sustaining this positive trend,” Aves added.
