Table A. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates, All Items, Nueva Ecija
In Percent 
(2018=100)

Nueva Ecija’s Headline Inflation Rate Drops to 0.8% in February 2025

Nueva Ecija's annual inflation rate dropped to 0.8 percent in February 2025, down from 2.5 percent in January of the same year. This figure remains significantly lower than the 6.9 percent inflation rate recorded in February 2024. (Table A and Figure 1)

Among the provinces and highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in Central Luzon, Pampanga recorded the highest inflation rate in February 2025 at 5.0 percent, while Zambales registered the lowest at -0.2 percent. Nueva Ecija ranked third lowest in the region, with an inflation rate of 0.8 percent. Meanwhile, Central Luzon's overall annual inflation rate declined to 2.3 percent in February 2025, down from 3.4 percent in January 2025. (Table A and Figure 2)

Table B. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates by Commodity Group:
Nueva Ecija (2018=100)
(In Percent)

Headline Inflation

The inflation rate in Nueva Ecija dropped to 0.8 percent in February 2025, down from 2.5 percent in January 2024. The following commodity groups posted a slower annual increase:

a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages with 0.1 percent from 2.5 percent;
b. Clothing and footwear with 2.0 percent from 3.9 percent;
c. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels with 2.2 percent from 4.8 percent;
d. Furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance at 3.0 percent from 3.3 percent;
e. Health with 2.7 percent from 4.1 percent;
f. Transport with -2.7 percent from -0.9 percent.
g. Recreation, sport, and culture with 2.9 percent from 3.1 percent; and
h. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services with 1.4 percent from 3.0 percent.

On the other hand, the annual inflation rate for alcoholic beverages and tobacco increased to 2.5 percent in February 2025, up from 2.2 percent in the previous month. Meanwhile, the inflation rate for education services remained unchanged at 4.9 percent.

Additionally, the indices for information and communication, restaurants and accommodation services, and financial services remained stable at zero percent in February 2025. (Table B)
 

Table C. Major Contributors to the Year-on-Year Inflation in Nueva Ecija:
February 2025

Major Contributors to the Headline Inflation

Nueva Ecija’s inflation in February 2025 was primarily influenced by the following commodity group:

a. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels with a 59.0 percent share or 0.47 percentage points;
b. Health with a 12.4 percent share or 0.10 percentage points; 
c. Furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance with a 12.3 percent share or 0.10 percentage points; and
d. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco with 10.1 percent share or 0.08 percentage points. (Table C)

Table D. Year-on-Year Changes in Inflation Rates on
Food Commodity, Nueva Ecija
(2018=100) 

Food Inflation Declines to 0.1 Percent in February 2025

Nueva Ecija's food inflation dropped significantly to 0.1 percent in February 2025, down from 2.7 percent in January 2025. This figure also remains considerably lower than the 10.5 percent food inflation recorded in February 2024.

Key Drivers of the Decline in Food Inflation

The decline in Nueva Ecija’s food inflation in February 2025 was primarily driven by the significant slowdown in the annual growth of the index for vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses, which dropped to 1.6 percent from 41.5 percent in January 2025.

Additionally, lower inflation rates in several other food categories contributed to the overall downtrend, including:

a. Cereals and cereal products, which declined further to -10.3 percent from -7.9 percent;
b. Ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified (n.e.c.), which slowed to 3.5 percent from 4.3 percent; and
c. Fish and other seafood, which decreased slightly to 3.7 percent from 3.8 percent.

Food Groups with Accelerating Inflation

Conversely, some food groups experienced faster price increases, including:

a. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, which rose significantly to 12.2 percent from 6.1 percent;
b. Milk, other dairy products, and eggs, increasing to 3.1 percent from 2.1 percent;
c. Oils and fats, which declined at a slower rate, from 2.9 percent to -1.9 percent;
d. Fruits and nuts, which surged to 10.0 percent from 4.6 percent; and
e. Sugar, confectionery, and desserts, which slightly improved to -1.8 percent from -2.2 percent. (Table D)

Table E. Major Contributors to the Year-on-Year Food Inflation in Nueva Ecija, 
February 2025

Major Contributors to Food Inflation

With a food inflation rate of 0.1 percent, the commodity group contributed 3.7 percent, or 0.03 percentage points, to Nueva Ecija’s overall inflation in February 2025. The food groups that made the highest contributions to food inflation during the month were:

a.  Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals with 1,096.6 percent share or 1.07 percentage points;
b.  Fish and other seafood with 200.0 percent share or 0.20 percentage points;
c.  Fruits and nuts with 152.3 percent share or 0.15 percentage points; and
d.  Milk, other dairy products, and eggs with 101.1 percent share or 0.10 percentage points. (Table E)

Table F. Consumer Price Index, Inflation Rate Month-on-Month Percent Change, Purchasing Power of Peso in Nueva Ecija
(2018=100)

Consumer Price Index Declines to 134.2 in February 2025

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined slightly to 134.2 in February 2025 from 135.1 in January 2025. This indicates that PhP100.00 in 2018 had the equivalent purchasing power of PhP134.20 in February 2025, reflecting a 34.2 percent increase in the average retail prices of a standard basket of goods and services. In comparison, the CPI in February 2024 was lower at 133.2. (Table F)

Nueva Ecija’s Purchasing Power of Peso Improves to PhP 0.75

The Purchasing Power of the Peso (PPP) in Nueva Ecija slightly improved to PhP 0.75 in February 2025, up from PhP 0.74 in January 2025. This means that, using 2018 as the base year, one peso in 2018 had the equivalent purchasing power of only 75 centavos in February 2025. (Figure 3 and Table F)
 

Technical Notes

 

Approved for release:

GIRLIE G. DE GUZMAN
Officer-in-Charge
(Supervising Statistical Specialist)